When you think of building and construction, what comes to mind? Perhaps steel beams, bricks, and heavy machinery used to make bridges and skyscrapers. Did you ever consider pasta and marshmallows as construction materials?
In science class, Grade 3 students used pasta to make towers and bridges. In case you are wondering, the marshmallow went on top of the tower, and this is harder than it sounds! However, they weren’t just making towers; they were developing teamwork, learning science skills, and using trial and error to improve their designs.
The first tower some teams built was a mere 8 cm tall, but they learned from their first design and made towers that were over 60 cm tall. The main event was the Tower Building Contest, which had students from Grade 3 and up working in teams to build the highest tower. After the contest finished, students did not eat the pasta…but the marshmallows seemed to have disappeared!