5 STEM Activities Desert Island STEM Challenges Bridge Catapult Raft Hut STEAM
Overview
Description
If your students enjoy doing STEM or STEAM activities, they will LOVE this set of 5 fully-planned challenges!
All five themed STEM challenges center around the story of a shipwrecked traveler stranded on a deserted island. After watching an introductory “movie trailer” and hearing the story of the shipwreck, students read five of the traveler's diary entries. Each entry will challenge them to design and build something to help him survive and get back to civilisation!
These STEM challenges require minimal prep and a whole lot of scientific fun! Each activity uses common materials that you probably already have in your classroom or can easily acquire.
Includes 5 separate challenges:
- Island Architect: Construct A Hut
- Crocodile Crossing: Build A Bridge
- Message In A Bottle: Waterproof Container
- Pirate Defense: Coconut Catapult
- Float Your Boat: Raft Design
These STEM challenges incorporate concepts of linear measurement, weight measurement, area, force and motion, properties of shapes, simple machines, and the scientific process.
Each challenge includes:
- teacher instructions
- student challenge sheet
- planning and design pages
- scoring rubric
There is also a set of team member role cards, design process cards, and a master score sheet to find out which group is the most successful at solving each problem.
EASY TO USE!
These STEM challenges are fully planned out making it easy to get started. They are also highly engaging because students are involved in solving a real-life problem.
Details
- File types1 PDF
- Page count45
- Teaching method/strategy
FAQs
How long does each challenge take to complete?
It somewhat depends on the age of your students. Older students spend more time brainstorming & planning. They are also more careful when building and testing. That portion of the challenges usually takes about an hour. If students go back to make improvements to their designs, that will add more ti
Why don't you list specific quantities for each material?
The challenges are flexible. They include a list of suggested materials and note which ones are required. You can eliminate, limit, or add any other materials you like. A true STEM challenge should not resemble doing a craft. We want students to think about what would work best to meet their goal.