Snow Stem Challenge!

The winter has FINALLY given us snow conditions that allow the kids to flex their STEM skills in a challenge to build the tallest snow structure. The warmer temperature and mistiness transformed the powdery snow into something they can press, roll and shape. 

The students opted to combine their House Table groups so that there was one Hufflepuff team, one Gryffindor team, one Slytherin team and one Ravenclaw team. While we wondered if this would lead to a "too many cooks spoil the broth" situation, it really came together as more of a "many hands make light work". 

Each team initially, and predictably, started off with team members going every which way with the singular purpose of gathering snow. Balls of snow were being rolled all over Sargent Field and gaining mass as they went. However, a point was reached where the teams realized that they would have to combine their efforts and create some sort of a plan to really be successful in this endeavor. 

We heard some kids starting to use their voices to corral the troops- "Hufflepuffs, help!", or "Gryffindors, over here!", or "Put this on the top!" and even a very strenuous "STOP" when one tower was in danger of being toppled over. 

Students had to develop some strategies for dealing with all the snow they had amassed - some of their snowballs were too large to be hoisted onto the top of the structure. These had to be broken down into smaller chunks and then put into place. Other groups found a solution for adding on to a tower that is taller than you - they used part of the base of their structure like a step stool while teammates handed them up snow to add on to the top. 

It was a fun and frenzied challenge that yielded some great lessons and experiences with cooperation and collaboration. When we pulled the kids together afterward and relayed our observations of their process, most said that if given the chance they would have started by making a plan from the very beginning. But they were highly successful yielding two structures that were 5'5", one that was 5'7" and one whopper that was 6'3" (it was taller than Mrs. A.!). 

Alas, the snow is now gone but we hope you will enjoy the pictures below of the kids in action. They are already looking forward to another STEM challenge.