STEM Challenge: Platinum Patroller Lands
Hook, Challenge, and Constraints
Hook
The Platinum Patroller just moved into town. He’s a guy cool — he wears a cool suit made of platinum and flies around fighting bad guys. As he was doing that yesterday, he landed on one of our bridges, and it collapsed into the water, leaving him soaked. He was very sad. I told him I’m pretty sure the bridge he landed on did not have enough trusses.
Challenge and Constraint
Your mission today is to make super strong bridges with lots of trusses.
Materials
You may also provide these optional materials: cereal boxes, toilet paper rolls, Dixie cups, and aluminum foil.
Logistics
- Materials: Students can 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!
- Groups: Students can work with a partner or on their own. No groups of three!
- Time to Build: 45 minutes
