Today our 4th grade students worked in groups to participate in a fun STEM project. Â The town of STEM-a-lot wanted engineers to design a prototype of a tower that could support a “cutie” (clementine orange). Â As a festive spin, students turned their tiny orange into a tiny turkey.
Students first shared what they knew about geometry, structures and gravity.  Each group discussed what might work with the materials they were given.
- 50 index cards
- 10 cm of tape
- one ruler to measure the tape
- one pair of scissors
- one “cutie” or small orange
Next, groups moved into the design phase. Â Groups sketched an initial plan of what their tower prototype might look like. Â Many of the original plans had to be modified as students began to experiment and interact with the building materials.
The construction phase was a process of following the P’s of our project; Plan, Problems, Perseverance, and Patience. Â Each group prepared a presentation and shared the testing phases and what they learned as a group. Â Many groups worked on their problem solving skills and grew together with perseverance and patience.
It was impressive to experience our 4th grade students working collaboratively together.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Enjoy your tiny turkeys.