1. Straw Towers Design Challenge Shahid Hussain eLearning and STEM Coordinator
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handouts and more at:

2. Design Challenge
You have been brought together as a team of civil engineers to construct the tallest, most stable tower. Your team’s design will be competing for a contract awarded by the city. Before you can be awarded the contract, however, you must develop a prototype of the tower you intend to build.

3. Your Task
Burj Khalifa, UAE
To work together as a team to create the tallest, most stable tower using:
50 straws per team
1 meter of tape
1 pair of scissors

4. Objectives
All students understand the importance of prototypes when building structures
Most students able to identify the link between structure and stability
Some students able to apply strategic design into their prototypes.

5. Time Intervals
4 minutes for research and development; brainstorming, talking, communicating, and sketching initial design.
8 minute intervals for construction.
3 minute discussion periods at the end to reflect on the activity. WWW and EBI

6. Example Planning Page Distribution of Supplies
How will you divide up your supplies
Stage 1: Base
What shape will you use to construct your base?
Stage 2: Middle
How will you add height?
Stage 3: Top
How will you finish the Tower?

7. Rules For Tower Construction
No talking during the building phases.
No taping structure to the floor or table.
Tower must be free standing upon completion.
You can’t hold it up!
Each structure will be measured from the base to the highest free standing point.
Each group can ask 2 questions during the building process pertaining to the actual design, process, or rules.

8. Conclusion
WWW (What Went Well)
EBI (Even Better if)

9. Alternative Materials
Students may “purchase” alternative or additional building materials during the planning phase. Such as:
Design ideas (example blueprints or design ideas printed out for viewing)
Flexible straws
Cut straws or pieces of straws
Bases (paper, poster-board, cardboard)

10. Teaching Strategies Lots of open space
Push tables or desks out of the way
Use the gym, media center or hallway
Kitchen or egg timer for time increments
Create penalties for talking during build phase
Could include loss of resources, points, or height deductions
Music

11. Alternate Teaching Strategies
Foreperson
Guide the team in making decisions.
Oversee the building of the tower.
Engineer 1
Draw Straw Tower Blueprints.
Build the tower according to the blueprints.
Engineer 2
Build the tower according to the blueprints
Financial Manager
Inventory materials.
Distribute and monitor use of materials.
Job Descriptions
Describes a specific job for each team member in order to utilize time more efficiently and to prevent arguments.

12. Predictable Complications
Grouping
Misuse of the resources i.e., scissors
Students not following design plans
Parents/Teacher’s Assistant
Espionage/Sabotage; can groups copy or steal ideas from one another?
Rushing
Giving up

13. Engineering Design Process
Problem
Describe the problem.
Research
Discuss what you know about structures and towers.
Brainstorm
Discuss ways to create the tallest tower and sketch a diagram.
Choose the best solution.
Build it!
Get your supplies and start working.
Test it!
Is it freestanding? Is it the tallest?
Communicate
What did you learn?
Redesign
What changes would you make?

14. Conclusion
This activity can be used to teach a variety of curriculum, group dynamics, communication skills, as well as the design and engineering process!
This is a fun hands-on activity that students of all ages find engaging and challenging!
All of the materials are inexpensive and/or readily available to teachers on any budget! Hence, Science on a Shoestring!