Tiny Tower Builders Guide STEAM Challenge
Tiny Tower Builders
Target Grade: K-2
Shapes & Exploration
Name:
Date:
Your Big Mission!
Build the tallest tower you can! It must hold a tennis ball on top for 10 seconds . You can only use paper, paper cups, and tape !
1 Explore Strong Shapes!
Fold paper into three different tube shapes. Put a book on top. Which shape is the strongest?
⭕
Circle Tube
Smooth cylinder
Strength: ⭐⭐⭐
🔺
Triangle Tube
Three flat sides
Strength: ⭐⭐
⬜
Square Tube
Four flat sides
Strength: ⭐
2 Draw Your Tower Plan!
What will your tower look like? Use shapes like circles ⭕, triangles 🔺, and squares ⬜ in your drawing!
Build & Test Log
Put on your builder hat and let's test!
Ball Hold Time 10 Seconds ⏱️
Did it stand up?
Check the correct box after building:
Yes! It held the ball! 🎉
It fell over. Oops! 🛠️
Keep trying! Great builders never give up!
How tall is it?
Measure with cubes or a ruler:
write height here
blocks or inches tall
3 Draw Your Final Tower!
What did your finished tower actually look like? Did you make changes to make it stronger?
How did you work today?
Circle the emoji that matches your feelings:
😊
Happy Builder
🤝
Great Helper
🧠
Deep Thinker
Gravity Busters Lab Notebook Engineering Design Process
Gravity Busters Lab Notebook
Target Grade: 3-5
Challenge Phase: Plan
Name:
Team Name:
Role:
1 ASK: Define the Problem & Constraints
The Mission
Construct the tallest possible freestanding tower that can support a tennis ball at the top for 10 continuous seconds .
The Constraints
Only use 20 index cards, 10 straws, and 1 meter of tape.
No anchoring or taping the structure to the table or wall.
Time Limit: 20 minutes to build .
2 IMAGINE: Brainstorming Science Concepts
How do engineers make structures tall and sturdy? Fill in the blanks below to help your team design:
1. Base Support:
A wider / narrower base helps distribute weight more evenly to prevent tipping.
2. Distributing Force:
Using the shape of a triangle / square helps redirect compression forces safely.
3 PLAN: Your Individual Blueprint
Sketch your own design idea before talking to your team. Label your materials and support structures!
Gravity Busters Experiment & Redesign
Documenting teamwork, trial testing, and product iteration.
Phase: Test & Improve
4 CREATE: Collaborative Team Synthesis
Whose ideas did your team decide to combine, and why?
5 TEST & ANALYZE: Data Collection
Trial 1 (Initial Build) Base Design
Height: ________ inches
Supported Weight? [ ] Yes / [ ] No
Held for 10 Sec? [ ] Yes / [ ] No
Trial 2 (After Changes) Improved
Height: ________ inches
Supported Weight? [ ] Yes / [ ] No
Held for 10 Sec? [ ] Yes / [ ] No
6 IMPROVE: Troubleshooting & Redesign
What structural weakness caused your tower to fail or wobble? Sketch the specific modification you made to improve structural stability:
TEAM POST-MORTEM: What is the most important lesson your team learned about gravity and structural engineering today?
Gravity Busters Slides STEAM Challenge 🚀 Grades K-5
GRAVITY BUSTERS
Can you build a tower that beats gravity? Let's design, test, and find out!
Mission Launch Phase
Slide 1 of 5
The Mission Briefing Build Rules
Your Goal
Build the tallest tower you can that supports a tennis ball at the top for 10 full seconds!
The Rules
⚡ No taping or anchoring your tower to the floor, desk, or walls!
⚡ You may only use the materials in your team's supply bag!
⚡ Stop building immediately when the timer hits zero!
Can your structure support the weight of a sphere? Slide 2 of 5
The Science of Strength Engineering Secrets
⭕
Circle Tube
Circles have no corners, so weight is shared perfectly around the tube.
Strongest Shape!
🔺
Triangle Tube
Triangles redirect compression forces down and out to the base.
Sturdy Base!
⬜
Square Tube
Squares easily wobble at the corners unless they are braced.
Needs Bracing!
Remember: Gravity is pulling the ball straight down! Slide 3 of 5
The Construction Zone Phase 3: Create
Teamwork Tactics
🤝
Assign Roles
Decide who cuts, who folds, and who tapes!
⏱️
Watch the Clock
Leave at least 5 minutes at the end to test!
💬
Share Ideas
Listen to everyone's drawings before building!
Construction Timer
20:00
Start planning with your lab notebook first, then unbox your materials!
Collaboration is the superpower of master builders! Slide 4 of 5
The Gravity Showdown Reflect & Debrief
Let the Testing Begin! 🏁
💡
Failure Point Analysis
If your tower collapsed or fell, which part gave way first? How did you try to fix it?
🧠
Iterative Success
If you had 10 more minutes and 5 more cards, what would you change to make it even taller?
Fantastic job, future engineers! Lab notebook check is next! Slide 5 of 5
Gravity Busters Teacher Guide Teacher Resource
Gravity Busters Facilitation Guide
STEAM Challenge
K-5 Implementation
Challenge Overview
Gravity Busters is an experiential STEAM challenge testing principles of physics and civil engineering. Students construct a freestanding paper tower capable of holding a high center-of-mass load (tennis ball) using minimal materials, highlighting structural shapes and force transfer.
Learning Objectives
Identify how different geometric shapes distribute forces.
Incorporate structural engineering elements (wide base).
Apply iterative design processes through testing and redesign.
Execute collaborative team roles during design.
Materials & Classroom Setup Checklist
Per Student Team (3-4 Students)
✓
Grades K-2: 15 index cards, 1m tape, 3 paper cups
✓
Grades 3-5: 20 index cards, 1m tape, 10 straws
✓
Target Load: 1 tennis ball per team
Classroom Preparation Setup
✓
Pre-cut tape strips into 1-meter lengths to save time.
✓
Mark testing zones with a flat, level surface.
✓
Keep height rulers & stopwatches handy.
Facilitation Timeline & Pacing Guide (50 Mins)
00 - 08m
Hook & Concept Launch
Introduce gravity and strong structural shapes (use Slides 1-3). Demonstrate folding a card into a cylinder and placing a book on top to showcase shape strength.
08 - 15m
Individual Planning
Pass out differentiated guides (K-2 Shape Builder or 3-5 Lab Notebook). Students complete individual blueprint drawings. Group teams and select collaborative roles.
15 - 35m
The Build Phase (Hands-On)
Give building green light. Start the 20-minute visual countdown timer. Circulate to answer questions, guide collaboration, manage materials, and prompt troubleshooting.
35 - 45m
Showdown & Live Testing
Call pencils and tape down! Teams present their designs. Measure final heights and conduct official 10-second tennis ball hold tests. Celebrate successes and failures equally!
45 - 50m
Reflection & Cleanup
Complete reflections on back page of worksheets. Lead a brief discussion about compression, failure analysis, and how they would iterate with additional materials.
Classroom Differentiation & Assessment
