STEM PROJECT For Elementary Grades ~ BUILDING A HOUSE OF CARDS

My students absolutely love to work on STEM projects.  This week’s stem activity was to build a house, or a structure, of cards.  I got this activity from Brook Brown ~ Teach Outside the Box . It’s currently my favorite STEM project for elementary grades.

Brooke Brown is my go-to person for all things STEM. Use the link I shared above to see all the awesome ideas she shares with her fellow teachers.

Supplies needed:

• playing cards or index cards (we used index cards)
• tape, labels, or stickers ( we used the “circle” stickers )
• tape measure or yardstick

Let’s get started:

1. Give each group around 30 cards and a sheet of stickers. You can do this in a couple of different ways.
2. First, just give them the 30 cards and a sheet of stickers and have them build the tallest, most stable structure as possible.  Then have each group measure to see who has the tallest structure.
3. Or, start out with 30 cards and a sheet of stickers and then have more available if your students would like more.  I actually did it this way this year and the kids loved it!
4. Fill out the sheet to list the supplies.  Also, draw a picture of what you would like your structure to look like.
5. I divided my class into partners.  (I wouldn’t put more than 3 per group so that it gives each student a little more say in the process.)
6. Last, record 3 different heights of your structure on the recording sheet.

That’s it! This is truly a great STEM project for elementary grades. It’s also fairly low prep, and – most importantly – it’s tons of fun!

What other STEM or STEAM projects have worked well in your classroom? I’m always looking for new ideas, so let’s collaborate! Feel free to share what’s worked for you below!