STEAM Weekly Challenge
Every week, EVPL will be posting a new STEAM challenge for you to complete from your home! The challenge will run from Monday until Friday. Your parents can help, or you can complete the challenge on your own. We would love to see your creations! Submissions will be posted the following Monday when a new challenge is presented.
Strong Shapes
Description: How strong is a piece of paper? Does the shape make a difference? For this Weekly Challenge, we are going to test different shapes to see which one can hold the most weight.
Brainstorm a variety of shapes- Gather several pieces of paper
- Roll, fold, and bend each piece of paper and secure with a piece of tape to create different shapes
- Stack one book at a time on top of your paper
- Discover which one is the strongest!
Questions to ask:
- Which shape holds the most books?
- Does the number of sides affect how much weight the shape will hold?
- Does it matter how the paper is taped together?
- Does it matter if the paper overlaps at the seam?
- What shape would you choose to hold up a tower?
What shapes do you see in buildings? Are they on the inside or outside of the building? How do they support the weight? What makes a building strong besides the materials being used? What shapes do you see in nature? How does a tree support the weight of its branches?
Suggested Materials:
- Paper
- Tape
- Books
Additional suggestions to enhance the challenge:
The challenge can be adjusted by limiting or increasing the number of pieces of paper.
Age group/grade level suggested: All Ages
Send a picture of your strong shapes to marketing@evpl.org to be featured next week!
Submission requirements:
First name
Age
What shape held the most weight?
Learning outcomes
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