Rossville sixth-grade students in Ms. Hope Rhodes’ STEM class began the first quarter by testing their creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.
During the opening week, students explored the engineering design process through a series of hands-on tower-building challenges. Working cooperatively in teams, they researched ideas, developed plans, tested their designs, and made improvements based on their results.
For their first challenge, students used spaghetti to design and construct the tallest, most stable tower capable of supporting the weight of a marshmallow. The activity required students to consider how height, balance, structural support, and weight distribution affect a tower’s strength.
Later in the week, students applied what they learned to a second challenge: constructing a straw tower that could withstand as much weight as possible. Each project encouraged students to communicate effectively, learn from unsuccessful attempts, and refine their designs. These are important skills engineers use in the real world.
The tower-building unit provided an engaging introduction to STEM and prepared students for their next area of study: bridges. As they move forward, students will continue investigating how engineers use different materials, shapes, and structural designs to create strong and dependable structures.
Through these collaborative challenges, Ms. Rhodes’ students are discovering that successful engineering involves more than building. It requires curiosity, persistence, teamwork, and a willingness to learn through experimentation.
Photo caption: Sixth-grade students in Ms. Hope Rhodes’ STEM class work together to design and construct spaghetti towers capable of supporting weight. The hands-on challenge introduced students to the engineering design process and strengthened their collaboration, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills.