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STEM Challenge

Work collaboratively with your team to build the tallest and strongest tower possible by using only the materials provided.

Materials: Marshmallows Toothpicks

This challenge has NO RELEVANCE to the students or what is happening in the real world and it is NOT based on Grade Level Standards.

E.Q.:How can I work collaboratively with my team to create a bird nest that will meet all of the criteria listed? How can I explain what will happen to an organism if their habitat is changed? How can I find and share the area of our nest?

Vocabulary:•Engineering Design Loop•Brown Thrasher•Habitat•Grams•Inches•Area•Wildlife Rehabilitator

S.T.E.M. Activity– Bird Nest ChallengeYou have been assigned to work with the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association to assist with

problems they are having due to deforestation. Many of the Brown Thrashers in GA are getting harmed and are losing their homes as the big machinery moves through the forests. Your job is to

create a temporary living space for these birds so they will have a place to stay with one of the rehabilitative specialists until they are healed & can be placed back into the wilderness. The nest must be able to hold the weight and length of a Brown Thrasher, as well as protect it from harm

while it is healing indoors.

Standards:Science:S3L1 Students will investigate the different habitats of different organisms & their dependence of organisms on their habitats.S3L1.d Students will explain what will happen to an organism if their habitat is changed.Math:MGSE3.MD.7b Students will measure multiple side lengths to find areas of rectangles with whole number side lengths

Materials:• Marshmallows• Toothpicks• Resource Books• Laptops/iPads• Ruler• Clay• Scale

Criteria:• Must be large enough for the bird to fit into• Must be rectangular in shape• It can be no taller than 3 inches• Must be able to hold 1- 5g ball of clay• You must be able to share the height & area of the nest• You must be able to explain how a change in an animal’s

habitat can effect the animal Constraints:• You may only use the materials provided.• Complete the challenge within the time allotted

S.T.E.M. Activity– Bird Nest ChallengeYou have been assigned to work with the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association to

assist with problems they are having due to deforestation. Many of the Brown Thrashers in GA are getting harmed and are losing their homes as the big machinery moves

through the forests. Your job is to create a temporary living space for these birds so they will have a place to stay with one of the rehabilitative specialists until they are healed & can be placed back into the wilderness. The nest must be able to hold the

weight and length of a Brown Thrasher, as well as protect it from harm while it is healing indoors. Materials:

• Marshmallows• Toothpicks• Resource Books• Laptops/iPads• Ruler• Clay• Scale

Standards:Science:S3L1 Students will investigate the different habitats of different organisms & their dependence of organisms on their habitats.S3L1.d Students will explain what will happen to an organism if their habitat is changed.Math:MGSE3.MD.7b Students will measure multiple side lengths to find areas of rectangles with whole number side lengths

E.Q.:How can I work collaboratively with my team to create a bird nest that will meet all of the criteria listed? How can I explain what will happen to an organism if their habitat is changed? How can I find and share the area of our nest?

Identify the problem

Brainstorm

CreateMake Improvements

Evaluate

Share / Present

Team Design

Design Engineeri

ng Process

GatherResearch &BackgroundInformation

STEM is……an integration of science, technology and/or math to design a solution to

a problem.

STEM is NOT……simply a one time activity of team collaboration and problem-solving.

Why STEM?

STEM is a level of innovation where the experience itself is learning It encourages motivation…even for the most Unmotivated child STEM integrates multiple subject areas Allows for student voice Allows students to look at relevance and see how what they learn in

school can be applied in real world situations Students who are the most successful are typically the most

unsuccessful students

National Data• US Dept of Labor predicts jobs requiring science,

engineering, and technical training will increase 34% between 2008 and 2018

• 174,000 science and engineering Doctoral Degrees were awarded worldwide in 2006, of which 30,000 were in the US, 52,000 were EU and 92,000 were from China.

• The US ranks 20th internationally on our share of graduate degrees awarded in computer science and mathematics. If this trend continues, more than 90% of all scientists and mathematicians will be living in Asia.

• 29% of teachers at the elementary level report that they teach science on two or fewer days a week.

If STEM Careers are the future…WHY aren’t kids interested in

them???

Challenges given should be based on standards and focus on real world situations so students can see relevance of their learning.

It needs to be based on the standards, include team collaboration, relevance, differentiation is natural, background knowledge, technology, research, etc.

Students need to be able to USE the language of the standards

Allow the students to guide their own learning with open-endedSTEM opportunities that allowmultiple possibilities for answers

Allow Students to Guide Their Own Learning…

When you don’t treat them like dummies, AMAZING things happen!

STEM “must haves” Challenge based upon standards should be presented Time to access background knowledge OR research to gain knowledge

about the topic Brainstorm individually (sketch or write)

(These can be used to form flexible groups by reviewing the individual brainstorm and grouping students based upon ability and understanding of the challenge)

Assign team jobs Team collaboration – share individual ideas and design a team plan Create a prototype Evaluate/Test Redesign Recreate Evaluate/Test again Journal

Team Jobs Challenge Captain Chief Architect Materials Master Testing Coordinator Rapid Reporter

STEM Mart

The “STEM Mart” can consist of materialschosen by the teacher OR random materialsthat the students can pick from.

We should stop asking our children WHAT they want to be when they grow up. Instead we should ask themwhat problems they would like to solve.

Questions?

S.T.E.M. Activity– Bird Nest ChallengeYou have been assigned to work with the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association to assist with problems they are having due to deforestation. Many of the Brown Thrashers in GA are getting harmed and are losing their homes as the big machinery moves through the forests. Your job is to create a temporary living space for these birds so they will have a place to stay with one of the rehabilitative specialists until they are healed & can be placed back into the wilderness. The nest must be able to hold the weight and length of a Brown Thrasher, as well as protect it from harm while it is healing indoors.

Problem:

• Build a nest that is rectangular, no taller than 3 inches, can hold the weight and length of the Brown Thrasher, and can protect the bird while it is healing indoors.

• Be able to measure & share the area of the nest with your peers

(Class graph can be created at end of lesson)

Background Knowledge Needed:

• What is a rectangle?• How to measure in inches• How to weigh something in grams• The weight and length of the Brown Thrasher• Potential dangers to birds • Deforestation• Who the National Wildlife Rehabilitators are• How to measure area