Fall into STEM with these 3 unique challenges! While exploring force and motion in a hands-on way, students will follow the engineering design process to complete each challenge. Task cards are provided if you would prefer to set these up at a STEM station or in your makerspace.

The three challenges are:

Acorn Chute: design a chute for acorns to go from point A to point B.

Leaf Glider: design a paper leaf glider that can fly the farthest.

Sports Dome: design a sports dome for your favorite sports team!

What You'll Get

✅ For the Teacher: Suggested material list for each challenge: paper, tape, and paper clips are the basic materials for these challenges. If you would like to build a more solid dome, you will use index cards and metal fasteners (brads that you use to make spinners). To make more complex acorn chutes, you may want pipe insulation, pool noodles, or cardboard boxes as well. You will also need to either collect acorns or use craft acorns. You can absolutely substitute balls or marbles for the acorns as well.

✅ STEM Challenge Tips

General tips for any STEM challenge.

✅ Creative Warm-up Activity

Complete the drawing activity to warm up the brain for thinking and hand for sketching.

✅ Each Challenge Includes

• Teacher Notes
• Sample Pictures
• Printable Challenge Poster: Hang at your STEM center or near where the STEM creations are, especially if they will be on display for the class or a STEM fair, parent night, etc.
• Printable pages to use with the challenge and guide the students through the engineering design process.

✅ STEM Challenge Cards

These cards include the 3 main STEM challenges in this resource (with variations), as well as some other challenges. You can use these if you would rather set this up at a STEM station as a self-guided STEM activity. Choose from cards with images or without.

✅ STEM Graphic Organizers

Fall themed – use with the three challenges or the challenge cards, provided to allow the students to work through the engineering design process. You may also use this sheet for any of the other challenges if you prefer a more generic one.

✅ Rubrics

3 options included

All of these challenges can be used to complement your study of force and motion (kinetic and potential energy, drag, tension and compression, etc.). Follow the engineering design process to complete each challenge. These challenges can be as simple or as complex as you choose to make them – for this reason they are appropriate for a wide age range.

What Teachers Are Saying

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "These challenges were so much fun and really forced my students to think creatively!"

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "We enjoyed using this resource in class as a way to get our kids to think outside the box and challenge them!"

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I'm always on the look out for quick and easy STEM activities. These are great!"

This is part of the STEM Challenges for All Seasons BUNDLE, so please do not purchase both.

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FAQs about STEM

Why use STEM activities in your classroom or homeschool?

These STEM activities are project-based and cross-curricular. Your students will gain experience in soft skill areas and foster a growth mindset while:

✓ Learning to work as part of a team.

✓ Communicating effectively and clearly to persuade others.

✓ Gaining confidence in presenting and speaking to groups.

✓ Persevering through a challenge when the initial design fails.

✓ Accepting constructive criticism from peers.

FAQs

❓ Will I need to spend a lot of money on supplies?

You don't need a lot of expensive materials to get started! You probably have most of the supplies in your classroom already, or in your recycle bin. I have developed most of my STEM challenges to be easily modified based on the materials you have on hand. For most of the challenges, you will need basic office or craft supplies and household recyclables such as:

• tape
• paper, index cards, or card stock
• recyclables like plastic cups, paper towel rolls, and cereal boxes
• craft sticks or straws

❓ I've never done STEM challenges before. What can I expect?

I've got you covered! There are notes and photos in the pack, and I have written several blog posts to get you started, two of which you can find here and here. All of my STEM challenge resources guide you through the engineering design process step by step.

❓I don't have time to do this as a group activity in my classroom. Can I still use this resource?

Yes! With STEM task cards, you can set up an independent learning center for your early finishers or when you do stations. Provide the materials, STEM task cards, and the included recording sheets or graphic organizers, and the students can work on these challenges independently, either alone or in small teams. Keep your materials in STEM bins so that you can easily rotate through them!

Other Seasonal STEM Activities

Winter STEM

Spring STEM

Summer STEM

Fall STEM

Find more STEM at my blog momgineer

momgineer

or at STEM Activities for Kids

STEM Activities for Kids