Thanksgiving STEM Challenge: Turkey Transporter

Congratulations, teacher! You’re almost there. You’ve almost made it to Thanksgiving break, but we all know those last few days can be difficult for you and your students. When everyone is more than ready for a rest and some turkey, focusing on school can be challenging for all. As tempting as it might be to phone it in with some videos and parties, you can’t really afford to waste instructional time. What to do? STEM challenges, of course. They’re fun, engaging and require students to problem-solve and think critically in collaboration with their peers.

In the last month, I’ve described five (5) Thanksgiving challenges that followed the journey of people meeting their basic needs:

– Mini Mayflower / Mini Mishoon (Get to where you’re going)
– Protect the People (Build a shelter)
– Pumpkin Picker (Gather available food)
– Corn Cultivator (Set up sustainable food source)
– Turkey Transporter (Once all major needs are met, there’s time for fun!)

With basic needs met, it’s time to let loose and have a little fun in Turkey Transporter!

Premise:

Students design a way to transport a turkey quickly and safely across a horizontal and/or vertical distance.

Where Can I Find Out More?

It’s a lot easier to explain challenges visually! The video walk-through of Turkey Transporter is embedded below. In it, you’ll find information about materials, modifying difficulty level, extensions and some tips & tricks to guide you, so you can better guide your students through the challenge. Check it out.

Where are the others?

This is the fifth of five Thanksgiving STEM Challenges. You’ll find all the Thanksgiving STEM challenges in the 5-challenge bundle briefly described in this post. Each challenge post is linked there for the walk-through videos and more details. For print or digital resources, click the images below. All challenges are available individually and in discounted bundles in my TpT store, as well.