Here are three cheap and easy STEM ideas for the classroom, mainly using paper! If you missed the first post or the second post, make sure to check them out here and here for even more paper STEM ideas.
These ideas could work for any grade, from upper elementary school to high school. The main difference is older students can usually come up with more ideas. I teach middle school and it can be challenging to integrate STEM into lessons, but critical thinking is a much needed skill for all students.
Many times, STEM is avoided in classrooms because of the expenses and the challenges associated with prepping these types of lessons. The long list of materials and combining the materials can be exhausting before the lesson is even taught. Giving students opportunities to come up with creative solutions to problems is critical to their growth and development. Also, problem and solution type of learning matches multiple science standards. I hope these ideas will help you implement STEM lessons into your teaching: cheaper and easier!
All these ideas are cheap and easy, so it can easily lend itself to redesigning and retesting. This problem and solution, then redesigning and retesting is in most science standards across the country!
1. Paper Chain
For the paper chain STEM activity, I explain that the goal for the students is to create the longest paper chain using only the materials provided. Sometimes I time this activity to add some more drama to the activity, but it just depends on what you want to do. The students should be given think time before materials are handed out. I typically emphasize that students need to visualize their designs and discuss them with their groups. I then show them how far they could get if they use their materials wisely. I do this by showing pictures from previous years.
The materials given for this activity include (per group):
- 2 sheets of paper
- 6 inches of tape
- Ruler
- Scissors
The guidelines or rules for this STEM activity are:
- The links of the chain must stay together without assistance.
- Use only materials given.
The activity is so engaging for the students as they problem solve in teams. Students are surprised to see such a variety of solutions to meet the same goal. Set up for the activity doesn’t take a long time and most materials can be found in about any classroom! I typically have my students graph the results and have them answer some questions. Also, we can discuss the different features of the different designs. This is a great STEM activity that is cheap, easy, and fun!
Expectations:
Over the years I have tried to keep records and notes for myself so I can remember reasonable expectations for the students and past records from previous years. I think the reasonable expectation is for students to create a chain and redesign if needed. Depending on the students’ design they might not have a long chain. I have students give me a redesign plan before getting new materials. If students are given a second chance, they almost always find a way to make their chain longer.
Top 3 Paper Chain Lengths: (Keep in mind I usually time this activity.)
- 22 feet
- 18 feet
- 16 feet
2. Paper Shade Shelter
For the paper shade shelter STEM activity, I talk about various shelters and shade. The goal for the students is to construct a paper shade shelter with one piece of paper that stands 5 inches off the ground! The students get a chance to be creative and innovative to solve the problem. I sometimes suggest different methods of solving the problem before the challenge begins, but this depends on the level of your students.
The materials given for this activity include (per group):
- 1 piece of printer paper
- 6 inches of tape
- Ruler
- Scissors
- Optional: Ice cubes, Thermometers
The guidelines or rules for this STEM activity are:
- Shade shelter must be 5 inches off the ground
- Use only the materials given.
Goal:
The goal can be for the group to delay the melting of an ice cube as much as possible. The control can be an ice cube not under a shelter versus the ice cubes under shelters. If you have thermometers you could see which shade shelter has the lowest temperature as well.
The activity is thought provoking and offers an opportunity for students to redesign for another day. Since it only requires limited materials, I usually will give students opportunities to redesign and test. Students are engaged and come up with varying solutions to the same problem! Sometimes we test at different times of day depending on the weather. This is a great STEM activity that is cheap, easy, and fun!
Expectations:
I think the reasonable expectation is for students to have a freestanding shade shelter 5 inches off the ground. This is challenging for students, but I do think it is a reasonable expectation. Depending on the students’ design, they might not be able to accomplish this task. However, if students are given a second chance to redesign, which is in a lot of science standards, they probably will be able to accomplish this task.
My Records for Paper Shade Shelter:
I have no records because the weather changes every year, so I feel the results are to inconsistent to really be helpful.
3. Paper Roller Coaster
This STEM activity requires students to construct a paper roller coaster. Many times, I introduce this lesson by holding a marble three feet off the ground and ask the students how can I transport this marble into the cup without touching it. Students immediately say just drop it. On tile floors and carpeted floors the marble will bounce out of the cup. So, I tell the students they need to come up with another solution. I bring up paper and tape as a solution. The students don’t believe it can be done at first, but with a little explanation they open up to the challenge. Sometimes, I show pictures and sometimes I don’t depending on age. The goal is to transport the marble 3 feet off the ground only using paper and tape safely into the cup.
The materials given for this activity include (per group):
- 4 pieces of printer paper
- Scissors
- 12 in of Tape (Students will go crazy with tape it you let them, so I recommend you restrict the amount.)
- Plastic cups
- Marbles
The guidelines or rules for this STEM activity are:
- Transport a marble only using the given materials into the cup with the marble starting 3 feet off the ground.
The activity is engaging and offers an opportunity for students to redesign during the activity. I typically have my students do this on a block wall with scotch tape. This can be very challenging, so you can drop down the height from 3 feet to 2 feet if needed. The students find this activity to be very challenging and engaging.
Expectations:
I think the reasonable expectation is for students to design and redesign when trying to accomplish the task. Sometimes, I start from a 1 foot height and have the students work their way farther up the wall. This challenge is engaging for students and gives them the opportunity to be creative. Trial and error is many times a fantastic teacher.
I have had students accomplish the task with the given materials three feet above the cup.
Being a science teacher, I always try to encourage STEM lessons because these lessons typically create an opportunity for students to be creative, which engages them. These are a few cheap and easy ideas that can make STEM integration a breeze. All can be framed as competitions or challenges, with the potential for data analysis and higher-level discussions.
If you enjoyed this post, please check out this post, or this post which include more STEM ideas using paper.
Thank you for Continually Learning with us!
Kyle and Sarah
