• Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Feel Good Teaching

Reconnect with your calling

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Blog
  • Shop
  • Freebies
  • PD
  • Bone Bridge® STEM Challenges
  • Disclosure
  • My account
You are here: Home / Products / Fall STEM Challenge: Apple Ally 1:1 Paperless

Fall STEM Challenge: Apple Ally 1:1 Paperless

August 28, 2017 by Leave a Comment

$3.98

In partners/groups, students will design and build an apple catcher to keep falling apples from hitting the ground.
This challenge is great for any time of year, but especially in the fall when learning about apples, Johnny Appleseed, or Sir Isaac Newton!   Plus, this is a great intro to forces and interactions and Newton’s three laws of motion, which are part of 3rd and middle school NGSS standards! (3PS2-1, MS-PS2-1, and MS-PS2-2)

Categories: Back to School, Fall STEM Challenges, Paperless-Digital-1:1, STEM Challenges Tags: apples, Fall, Newton's Laws of Motion, Paperless
  • Description

Description

This back-to-school STEM / STEAM Challenge brings the joy back to your classroom with collaborative, hands-on, brain-busting work (disguised as fun)!

The basic premise:
In partners/groups, students will design and build an apple catcher to keep falling apples from hitting the ground.

Plus, this is a great intro to forces and interactions and Newton’s three laws of motion, which are part of 3rd and middle school NGSS standards! (3PS2-1, MS-PS2-1, and MS-PS2-2)

This challenge is also great for any time of year, but especially in the fall when learning about apples, Johnny Appleseed, or Sir Isaac Newton!

 


Note: This version is for use with Google Slides in 1:1/paperless classrooms. If you prefer to print and have students complete work with paper/pencil, you’ll want to look at the printable version instead.

If you have questions about which version is right for you, please feel free to leave me a question using the product Q&A below.


Resource includes:


NGSS aligned standards, Grades 2 – 8

Teacher Tips
– Links to STEM Challenge How-To videos
– Materials and timing
– Criteria & Constraints (including modifications to increase difficulty for older students)
– Measuring results
– Post-design extension activities list
– Link to a video walk-through of the challenge

Student Slides
– Criteria & Constraints List (editable version provided)
– Design Analysis
– Discussion Questions

Extension slides
– Process Flow Map
– Create & Solve Math Problems Based on Designs
– Several video slides for broadening understanding of forces & motion
– Estimate, Measure, & Convert Mass Practice (teacher-editable)


Sample/suggested materials for each student or group:

Materials you’ll need to do the activity are easily modified. See disclosure.

  • Apple (1)
  • Large boxes without lids (at least 10 in. x 10 in. – shoe boxes, shipping boxes, etc.).
    • Try to get similarly-sized boxes or supplement the materials of groups with larger boxes.
    • For increased difficulty, have students build on a cardboard or foam board base (no raised edges)
  • Cylindrical object (1)
    • Coffee can, paper towel tube, water bottle, rolled file folder, 6 or more pencils tied together, etc.
  • Unsharpened pencils (10 – 12)
  • Pipe cleaners (10)
  • Small and/or large paperclips (20)
  • Rubber bands (5 – 10)
  • Tape (24 – 36 in.)
  • String or yarn (24 – 36 in.)
  • Ruler 
  • Scissors
  • Design analysis handouts (included in resource)

Optional:

  • Craft sticks
  • Foil or lunch bags
  • Binder clips
  • Decorative green & red paper to build out the tree

Benefits of this STEM Design Challenge:

– Focus on critical thinking, problem solving, and application of learning
– Helps students develop growth mindset traits like persistence and resilience
– High levels of student engagement
– The potential to hit upon all NGSS ETS standards depending on the depth and number of iterations you choose to implement in your classroom (modifications included)
– Highly flexible and differentiated for materials, timing, grade levels, and rigor.

Each design iteration should be planned for ~60-90 min. if you are including data gathering and analysis rather than just building for fun. If you add extension activities, you will need to adjust timing accordingly.

 


Resource also available in Back-to-School Bundle and on Teachers Pay Teachers!

You may also like…

  • STEM Challenge Mega Bundle

    $104.98
    Add to cart
  • View Entire Catalog

    Read more
  • Fall STEM Challenge Bundle 1:1 Paperless

    $9.98
    Add to cart
  • Fall STEM Challenge: Apple Ally

    $3.98
    Add to cart

Related products

  • Fall STEM Challenge: Apples Aloft

    $3.98
    Add to cart
  • Fall STEM Challenge: Apples Afar 1:1 Paperless

    $3.98
    Add to cart
  • Fall STEM Challenge: Apple Annihilator 1:1 Paperless

    $3.98
    Add to cart
  • St. Patrick's Day Activity

    St. Patrick’s Day STEM Challenge: Limitless Luck

    $3.98
    Add to cart

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

After being a classroom teacher for ten years (grades 2-8), I’m fortunate to now follow my passion to design lessons & share ideas that help teachers everywhere find more feel-good teaching moments in their own classrooms!

Visit the Shop

Visit the Shop

Follow Me

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2022 // Design by Laugh Eat Learn // Theme by PDCD