STEM Challenge: Double Bubble
Hook, Challenge, and Constraints
Hook
We’ve just hit a big STOP Sign! Our telescopes and smellescopes have picked up a giant dust storm on Mars. It’s the trolls. Instead of landing gently on Mars, they smashed right into a big, red dust dune and kicked up a massive dust storm, which means that our astronauts won’t be able to go outside once they reach Mars. They’re going to need a hermetically-sealed pathway to get from one bio bubble to another without stepping outside. The bio bubbles and the pathway that connects them must be big enough for the astronaut to move around in.
Challenge and Constraints
Today, we will be testing our bio bubbles to see if our astronauts, played by Wiffle balls, are able to move from one bio bubble to another without going outside. Remember that the Martian air is not safe. Do your best to make your bio bubbles hermetically-sealed, which means no air or gasses can get in or out.
Materials
This challenge requires waffle balls as a tester. You may use as many other builders as you have access to.
Logistics
- Prepare Materials: Ensure you have all the necessary materials ready for the design challenge and organize the materials in a way that is easily accessible to students. Students should use no more than five of any one material per creation! For example, a student can use five straws and five pieces of paper, but not ten straws. If you provide aluminum foil, no more than one arm’s length piece for each student!
- Set Up Testing Area: Create a designated area where students can test their bio bubbles.
- Provide Guidelines and Constraints: Reiterate the challenge and the constraints to students as needed. Emphasize the importance of following safety guidelines and considering the constraints, while designing their bio bubbles. Building time is 45 minutes!
- Model the Design Process: Before students begin, demonstrate the design process by going through the steps yourself. Discuss how to brainstorm ideas, create prototypes, test them, and make iterations based on the results, as needed.
- Encourage Collaboration: Foster a collaborative environment where students can work together in pairs. Encourage them to share ideas, help each other troubleshoot challenges, and provide constructive feedback throughout the process. But no groups of three!
- Support Adaptation: Encourage students to embrace the mindset of adaptation and problem-solving. Help them see that setbacks and failures are opportunities to learn and make improvements. Guide them in identifying areas for adaptation and brainstorming alternative solutions.
- Facilitate Reflection: Set aside time for students to reflect on their design process and decision-making. Ask questions that prompt them to think critically about their choices, challenges they faced, and what they learned from the experience. This reflection can be done individually, in pairs, or as a whole-class discussion.
- Celebrate and Showcase: Once students have completed the challenge, celebrate their efforts and showcase their parachute designs. Provide opportunities for students to share their experiences, explain their design choices, and reflect on the overall learning journey.
CASEL Discussion Questions
Five questions aligned to Responsible Decision Making — our focus CASEL competency for Module 3 — for teachers to foster an engaging discussion and social-emotional learning
- What factors did you consider when designing your bio bubble to ensure it was hermetically-sealed?
- How did you make decisions about the size of the bio bubble and the pathway to ensure the astronaut can move around comfortably?
- How did you prioritize the safety of the astronauts in your design decisions? What steps did you take to minimize the risk of exposure to the Martian air?
- What responsible decision-making skills did you use during this design challenge? How did you weigh different options and choose the best course of action?
- Reflecting on your final design, what improvements or modifications would you make if you had more time or resources? How would these changes enhance the safety and functionality of the bio bubble?