Challenge students to design and build a stable bucket tower using the engineering design process. This hands-on STEM challenge builds teamwork, critical thinking, and real-world problem-solving skills. This one-of-a-kind STEM Activity is a classroom favorite!

It's engaging, filled with creativity, and huge fun. You’ll love the ready-made lab sheets and minimal prep work—perfect for busy teachers. Students will also explain the purpose of their bucket designs, leading to imaginative answers. My students adore this challenge, and yours will, too!

➡️What is the challenge?

• Students will find a way to use the straws to hold the bucket aloft and then test it with weight.
• As it gets heavier and heavier they will make on-the-spot adjustments as they see weak points of the tower buckle or collapse.
• You can opt to add a requirement that their design must include a functional reason for a tower having a bucket.

➡️What is your prep?

You will need supplies in addition to this package. This includes straws, string, masking tape, hole punchers, small cups, and scissors. You will need to set up bins with materials for each group and copy the lab sheets for each student.

➡️The package specifically includes:

• Cover
• Teacher background
• Materials and preparation page
• 6 pages of teacher directions
• 2 versions of the constraints list
• 3 pages of photographs
• 2 versions of the lab sheet
• Terms of Use page
• Sample student answer sheets are not included, but samples of student work are included in the teacher direction pages.
• In addition, the challenge includes a scoring rubric and an editable file. The pages that can be edited are the constraints posters, the lab sheets, and the rubric.
• The page count listed for this package includes everything.
• A READING SELECTION is included. The passage explores unusual towers around the world. A worksheet is included with an answer key.

This proved to be a challenging task, but the kids loved it! They very cleverly found ways to make the materials work!

➡️What are teachers saying?

• "This is probably one of my favorite STEM lessons. My students loved the competitive nature of the lesson and loved the possibilities. This is a perfect lesson for students to understand the engineering and design process."
• "I use this as an intro activity with my science enrichment class. The kids love it and it's a great way for them to get to know each other and work together to solve this problem. It is very well put together. I will continue to use this resource in the future!
• "...this exactly what I want in a TPT resource! Clear and detailed instructions, REAL student samples, possible trouble areas and how to deal with them, editable files to allow some flexibility from class to class, and attractive handouts without unnecessary and twee graphics."

➡️ Click here to save 20% on this STEM resource in a bundle of 3 projects.

➡️ Click here for the Easy Supplies 6-Pack bundle that includes Bucket Towers!

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