STEM Candy Cane Challenge

What is the challenge?

• Students are given a task card listing a structure to build.
• The candy cane must be part of the structure. And, it must have a reasonable function.
• Students must choose the materials they think will work best with the structure because every group builds something different!
• To make this even more fun the students determine their materials by using a cost sheet and staying within a budgeted amount of money for “purchasing” the materials.

What are the structures?

• There are 6 challenge cards!
• The structures include building a race car, a giraffe, a mini golf hole, a catapult, a musical instrument, or a tower.
• The constraints for each of these structures are listed on the individual challenge cards.

What do you need?

Suggested materials include CANDY CANES – any size, craft sticks, pipe cleaners, rubber bands, cardboard tubes, string, cups, straws, craft foam, foil, cardboard pieces, construction paper, card stock, masking tape, markers, marbles, and pom-poms. The resource includes ideas for gathering these materials or substituting for them.

This package specifically contains:

• 6-page teacher’s guide
• Detailed materials list
• Preparation ideas
• Step-by-step procedures
• Challenge Task Cards *editable
• Cost sheet for the budgeting feature *editable
• Lab Sheet *editable
• Sample answers
• Scoring rubric *editable
• 2 pages of photos and tips
• Terms of Use

➡️EDITING AND PRINTING TIP: The editable portion of this file is in PowerPoint format. Before printing, you may need to save the file as a PDF.

STEM Project/Teachers are Terrific

• Categories: STEM projects, Christmas
• Copyright: Teachers are Terrific
• Grades: 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th
• Subjects: Engineering, Science, Math
• Resource format: PDF, Editable PowerPoint
• Delivery: Immediate Digital Download
• Contact: Terms of Use page includes contact information

This resource is also available at TPT!