Download additional materials, handouts and more at:

1. Straw Towers Design ChallengeNicole CozartProgram Coordinator STARBASE OneSelfridge ANGB, MIncozart@starbaseone.org & Alison Chanley Pre-Service TeacherOakland UniversityRochester, MI Download additional materials, handouts and more at: www.strawtowersdesignchallenge.wikispaces.com

2. Design Challenge You have been brought together as a team of civil engineers to construct the tallest, most stable tower. Your team’s design will be competing for a contract awarded by the city. Before you can be awarded the contract, however, you must develop a prototype of the tower you intend to build.

3. Your Task Eiffel Tower Paris, France To work together as a team to create the tallest, most stable tower using: • 50 straws per team • 1 meter of tape • 1 pair of scissors

4. Time Intervals • 5-7 minutes for research and development; brainstorming, talking, communicating, and sketching initial design • Three 10 minute intervals for construction • 2 minute discussion periods at the end of each building phase

5. Rules For Tower Construction • No taping structure to the floor or table. • Tower must be free standing upon completion. • You can’t hold it up! • Each structure will be measured from the base to the highest free standing point. • Each group can ask 2 questions during the building process pertaining to the actual design, process, or rules.

6. Example Planning Page

7. Alternative Materials • Students may “purchase” alternative or additional building materials during the planning phase. Such as: • Design ideas (example blueprints or design ideas printed out for viewing) • Flexible straws • Bases (paper, poster-board, cardboard)

8. Teaching Strategies • Lots of open space • Push tables or desks out of the way • Use the gym, media center or hallway • Kitchen or egg timer for time increments • Create penalties for talking during build phase • Could include loss of resources, points, or height deductions • Music

9. Alternate Teaching Strategies • Job Descriptions • Describes a specific job for each team member in order to utilize time more efficiently and to prevent arguments. Foreperson • Guide the team in making decisions. • Oversee the building of the tower. Engineer 1 • Draw Straw Tower Blueprints. • Build the tower according to the blueprints. Engineer 2 • Draw Straw Tower Blueprints. • Build the tower according to the blueprints Financial Manager • Inventory materials. • Distribute and monitor use of materials.

10. Predictable Complications • Grouping • Misuse of the resources i.e., scissors • Students not following design plans • Parents/Teacher’s Assistant • Espionage/Sabotage; can groups copy or steal ideas from one another? • Giving up

11. Engineering Design Process • Problem • Describe the problem. • Research • Discuss what you know about structures and towers. • Brainstorm • Discuss ways to create the tallest tower and sketch a diagram. • Choose the best solution. • Build it! • Get your supplies and start working. • Test it! • Is it freestanding? Is it the tallest? • Communicate • What did you learn? • Redesign • What changes would you make?

12. Conclusion • This activity can be used to teach a variety of curriculum, group dynamics, communication skills, as well as the design and engineering process. • This is a fun hands-on activity that students of all ages find fascinating and engaging . • All of the materials are inexpensive and/or readily available to teachers on any budget! Hence, Science on a Shoestring!