Marshmallow Challenge

I wanted to create a science/engineering club at school where we could focus on not just doing or learning about some cool science, although we will be doing that, but also giving the students a taste for engineering design. I always planned for the first session to be a variant on the Marshmallow Challenge, and yesterday we finally did it.

 You've probably at least heard of the Marshmallow Challenge -- but if you haven't, go here to watch the TED talk and learn more about it -- if not actually done it. I've done it several times... most recently on Wednesday, in fact, which was kind of hilarious given that I'd planned to do it with my sci/eng kids the very next day.

Literal team "building" w/ spaghetti, 1 marshmallow & tape. Who can make the tallest tower? #tdsbdll LN23/24 @tdsb pic.twitter.com/BHPilXktmJ

— Larissa Aradj, OCT (@MrsGeekChic) November 2, 2016

In brief, you get 20 sticks of spaghetti, 1 m of string, 1 m of tape, 1 marshmallow, and 18 minutes to build the tallest free-standing structure that will support the marshmallow. Usually when this challenge is done, the teams build the structure (or try to) which are then measured, the activity is debriefed, and then... nothing. Nobody gets a chance to learn from their mistakes or use the idea of prototyping.

Not on my watch.

We did the challenge; one group got to 40 cm, but the other two... didn't quite get the tall structures they envisioned^*.

Then I showed them the TED video. We talked a bit about why the less successful structures fell (they both built triangular prisms; the vertical rectangular sections all turned into parallelograms. Horizontal ones.) and the importance of prototyping. Afterword, we did the challenge again. I wanted to see if they would learn from their previous mistakes and build prototypes. There was a bit of that going on, but all three groups built towers above 40 cm, so I feel that the exercise was successful.

And everybody got candy.

I'm busy sourcing ideas for other design challenges. I'm thinking of Cartesian divers^**, CD hovercraft races (and other great ideas shamelessly borrowed from Roberta Tevlin), building a mirror maze and/or a windmill, and, my one true love, Rube Goldberg machines, but I'll happily take suggestions for other projects that can be done in an hour or so and are good for anyone in grade 9 up to grade 12.

What design projects do you do with your science club?

^*We could have had four groups of three instead of the three groups of four, but hey, it's a club, so I let it go; I'll be a bit stricter with them next time.

^**I spent the year two years ago diligently emptying Dr. Pepper bottles for just this purpose. I am nothing if not dedicated.