Huff N' Puff Challenge-STEM Activity with Literacy

Congratulations to Tera and Sarah, the winners of last month's Biggby coffee gift cards drawing! And a big thanks to Biggby for donating them!

I've always had a fascination for architectural blueprints. Using a protractor, I drew many house designs of my own as a kid. Later, my husband and I built several homes of our own. An exciting part is to walk through new construction once the walls are studded up and see spaces such as where an extra cupboard could be placed that would otherwise be drywalled over. We were also into flipping houses decades before it ever became popular. 

Our first flip back in 1986 in Appleton, Wisconsin. 

We were 22 and 23 years old...crazy kids!!

So when I saw a picture and a one sentence caption of a STEM architecture activity that takes off on The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka I knew I had to explore it further. There were no details so I decided to create my own.

I also read the traditional version
to compare and contrast the two.

After reading the story and using it as an example of first person narration and finding appropriate descriptive words for both the pig (clever, resourceful) and the wolf (determined, strong, tenacious), students engaged in a STEM activity. 

The task involved huffing and puffing and building the tallest but sturdiest model house for the pigs out of toothpicks and marshmallows. Maybe not in that order. And the wolf? A blow dryer. 

Meet Mr. Huff N' Puff himself. The Wolf.

Building Some Background

My goal was to give students opportunity to write detailed descriptive nonfiction through challenge based learning while working on a STEM project. Before beginning their design plan, students watched a clip of Magic School Bus Under Construction to give clues of sturdy construction. Then we read A Skyscraper Reaches Up by Kylie Burns found on the EPIC book app to form an understanding of the Engineering Design Process. 

Planning for Construction

One last piece of research was providing students with "toothpick and marshmallow tower images" online on their ipads. They had many pictures of various toothpick/marshmallow structures to view in order to help them decide how to proceed with their own constructing. Given 25 small marshmallows and 35 toothpicks and armed with some background knowledge of building, students each developed their own plan of construction in descriptive step by step written directions along with a sketch. This was a fantastic time to practice transition words and phrases too...first, next, then... 

Many students were very precise, writing
exactly how they intended to construct.

Students used online images to help 

inform their constructing choices.

Building 

Students were given a zip bag kit with toothpicks and marshmallows and 10 minutes to complete their design. One could almost feel the intensity and concentration of thought process and building action during this timeframe. Several students later reflected they wished they'd had more time, however every student completed the project in the time given. 

Following their plan and beginning the building process.

Many students picked up on 

the strength of triangle power.

After construction was completed, students wrote detailed descriptions and sketches of what their actual structures turned out to be. Then it was time to meet the wolf and find out how many structures would prove to be "wolf-proof"!

Wolf-Testing

The "wolf" stood back 18 inches from the structure and did his best to huff and puff for 10 seconds.  Students enjoyed counting back to keep track of the seconds.

Completed structures ready to be wolf-tested.

The wolf huffed and puffed 18" 

from the structure for 10 seconds.

The Outcome

It was decided that if the structure either tipped over by all the huffing and puffing or was blown over the edge of the table, the wolf succeeded. If the structure stayed upright and did not blow off the table, the structure was deemed "wolf-proof". Most structures were found to be great models for the pigs to safely move into. Students theorized  and reflected that those with triangle bases, wider bases, and those built with stabilizers around the base faired better than those without. 

Students reflected on three thoughts... 

What worked well, challenges that were faced, 

and how to improve the design for the future.

This is definitely an activity to invite the wolf back to do again in the future! Students not only met my goal for learning, but thoroughly enjoyed the project!

Knowing my grown-up kids were coming home over that weekend, I set out leftover toothpicks and marshmallows in bowls thinking they would mess with making something. I wasn't disappointed. My engineer son-in-law was all over the project with quite an extensive model of a bridge. So I discovered that the "big kids" liked it just as much! Success all around. 

Please share if you have used a similar activity of huffing and puffing in your classroom!