Summer STEM Challenge: Wicked-Fast Water Slide

When it’s the end of the school year, your summer activities need to be on-point to keep kids engaged! This summer STEM / STEAM Challenge brings the joy back to your classroom with collaborative, hands-on, brain-busting work (disguised as fun)!

The basic premise: 
In partners/groups, students will design and build a water slide built for speed, thrills, and safety.

 

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Note: If you are in a 1:1 classroom, you may prefer the digital format, compatible with Google Slides ™.

Take me to this resource on TpT.

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Resource includes:

• NGSS aligned standards, Grades 2 – 8

• Teacher Tips:
  • Links to my 5-part video series on getting started with STEM challenges
  • Materials and timing
  • Criteria & Constraints (including modifications to increase difficulty for older students)
  • Measuring results
  • Universal STEM Challenge Notes & How to Use Student Handouts
  • Post-design extension activities list
  • Link to a video walk-through of the challenge

• Student Handouts:
  • Criteria & Constraints List (in color and B&W; editable version provided)
  • Results and Design Analysis (2-page regular spacing and 4-page expanded) spacing for primary students included in color and and B&W)
  • Discussion Questions (color and B&W)

• Extension templates
  • Process Flow Map
  • Create Math Problems Based on Designs
  • Forces Research Log
  • Forces Research Applied to Student Re-Design template (editable)

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Sample/suggested materials for each student or group:

Materials you’ll need to do the activity are easily modified. You don’t need to provide all of the following materials. Select a subset and/or add in your own ideas.

• • Note: The links below are Amazon Affiliate links. Find out more on the disclosure page.

• • • Paper-towel and/or toilet paper cardboard tubes and/or cardboard scraps
      • Distribute as evenly as possible. If you don’t have much cardboard,
        tighten the height constraint to 12 in.
    • Foil, wax paper, or plastic wrap (~24 sq. in.)
    • Straws (5 – 10)
    • Pipe cleaners (5 – 10)
    • Plastic beads or marbles (6)
    • Small bowls and/or cups (1 – 3)
    • Tape (24 – 36 in.)
    • Yarn (24 – 36 in.)
    • Bottle of water
    • Stopwatch (at least one per class is needed)
    • Scissors
    • Ruler
    • Design analysis handouts (included)Optional
      • Craft sticks
      • Clothespins
      • Rubber bands
      • Paper towels (for clean up)
      • Blue food coloring for the water

     

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Benefits of this STEM Design Challenge:

• Focus on critical thinking, problem solving, and application of learning
• Helps students develop growth mindset traits like persistence and resilience
• High levels of student engagement
• The potential to hit upon all NGSS ETS standards depending on the depth and number of iterations you choose to implement in your classroom (modifications included)
• Highly flexible and differentiated for materials, timing, grade levels, and rigor.

Each design iteration should be planned for ~60 min. if you are including data gathering and analysis rather than just building for fun. If you add extension activities, you will need to adjust timing accordingly.

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This resource is available is also available in the Summer Bundle and the Mega Bundle. It will also soon be available in a in a digital 1:1 format, compatible with Google Slides (TM).

 

 

 

 

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If you prefer to purchase on TpT, click here.
Note: any coupon/promo codes for this site will only work on this site. TpT does not have the option for individual stores to offer promo codes.

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Preview Music Credit:

“Carefree” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/