STEM Education Resources for Engaging Science Teaching
Do You Want to Build The Tallest Snow Tower?
An Engaging December or January STEM Activity Perfect for before or after Winter Break!
Around Winter Break, I like to do fun STEM challenges and activities with my classes. I came up with 'Do You Want to Build the Tallest Snow Tower?' a few years ago, and my students really enjoyed it. I added some extra resources to it this year, to get my students in a wintery mood!
It doesn't require too much prep, just white pom poms, googly eyes, paper, mini cupcake liners white paper, and Scotch tape, and I love that each groups produces such different structures.
Creating a Wintery and Festive Atmosphere
Kids love listening to wintery music and sounds!
This year I spent some time listening to lots of videos of wintery music and sounds. It's nice to have this playing in the background when you introduce the activity and while the students are making their snowballs and snow towers.
Setting the Scene with An Adorable Story!
Read an Illustrated Story about a Snowball Building a Snow Tower
I find even my 5th graders love having a story read to them. Before I introduce the Winter STEM activity, I read my students an adorable story about a snowball who builds a snow tower.
I then tell the students that they are going to make their own snowball, and then build a snow castle for it! This does get the students super engaged in the Snow Tower activity, and they all love taking their snowballs home.
Making a Snowball!
Kids love making their own Snowball, and giving it a name!
You can buy packs of white pom poms easily on Amazon. I usually buy googly eyes that have sticky backs, as the eyes just seem to fall off using regular glue. It's also fun to buy different sized eyes, as it can really give the snowballs different personalities. Eyes close together and far apart are fun too!
I do have to help my students to get the backs off the eyes, especially if they choose very small eyes. it's quite a fiddly job!
Once the snowballs are made, the students love to give them a name, and sometimes a little backstory!
Building a Snow Tower for the Snowball!
Work as an Engineer to Build a Snow Tower
Engineers solve problems, and so I like to tell my students that they will be working as an engineer to solve the problem of building a Snow Tower.
All Engineers have to work with Criteria and Constraints.
Engineering Criteria are the things the design must do to be successful.
Engineering Constraints are the limitations of the design, normally materials and time.
Snow Tower Engineering Criteria: Build the Tallest Snow Tower you can for your Snowball
Snow Tower Engineering Constraints: You can only use 5 pieces of white paper, 12 inches of Scotch tape and a mini cupcake liner.
Strengths of Different Columns
Tips for Success
With older students, I would let them start the activity, just trying things out for themselves. For younger students, or older students that are struggling you, could show them how to build paper columns.
Honestly, it is incredible how strong a circular column can be if you build it correctly, so that it can stand freely without leaning.
I would advise students that any bends or crumples in their structures will make it weaker and much more likely to fall over.
I might also give students hints such as 'I didn't tell you, you couldn't tape it to the ground'!!!!!!
Those students who build the tallest towers seem to use circular columns that are made so they can each stand easily, and then tape the first to the ground, and build upwards from there.
Finally Add the Snowball
Can you balance your Snowball on top?
Once the snow tower structure is built and is able to stand without tipping over, it's time to add the snowball.
I have students balance or tape the cupcake liner at the top of their structure, and then put the snowball in. This can be a very tense moment!!
A meter ruler/yard stick is useful if you are wanting to have a competition about which group has the tallest tower.
Add Some Snowflake Science
How do Snowflakes form?
When learning about anything snow related, I like to give my students the Google Slide on the left. Here students can watch time-lapse videos of snowflakes forming, and a video about where snowflakes come from. I also included a simulation where students make their own snowflakes. Snowflake shapes depend on the position that the snowflakes form in the cloud and temperature. Students can vary this in the simulation, and make different shapes!
The Complete Unit: Can You Build A Snow Tower
Visit the TPT STEM Voyage Store
All the resources needed for the Marshmallow and Toothpick STEM Activity can be found on my STEM Voyage TPT store.
They include:
- Google Slides: Videos of Wintery Music and Sounds.
- Google Slides: Illustrated Story of a Snowball Building a Snow Tower
- Google Slides: A beautifully illustrated set of instructions.
- Google Slides: Snow Flake Science, videos and simulation.
- A Teacher Information Guide.
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