STEM Quick Challenge

Grade Level: Kindergarten

Quick challenge to focus on Standards for Technological Literacy Content Standards and
Benchmarks standard 6
Learning Standard: Standard 6: Students will develop an understanding of the role of society in
the development and use of technology.
A. Products are made to meet individual needs and wants.
Big idea:
An umbrella is a type of technology that was developed to serve a need. An umbrella
acts as a product that meets an individual’s need in certain weathers. It can be used
to stay shaded in the sun or to stay dry in the rain.
Quick Challenge:
When there is bad weather, people need umbrellas or other tools to protect themselves from the
rain. In 15 minutes or less, create your own mini umbrella from the material list below. The goal
of your umbrella is to help keep the toys under the umbrella dry. How will you build an umbrella
to achieve this goal?
Materials:
Straws Toothpicks Popsicle sticks
Aluminum foil Aluminum cupcake liners Paper plates
Coffee filters Index cards Scissors
Tape Toys (to put under the
umbrella)

Questions:
• Did your umbrella protect the toys from getting wet?
• How might you improve it? What role did your materials play in the effectiveness of your
umbrella?
• Why is it necessary to use umbrellas when it is raining?
Quick challenge used as a hook for a new lesson
Students will be introduced to a new unit about weather and identify ways weather and climate
impact daily life. In order to do this, students can be read a book about the weather such as The
Weather Girls by Aki. To further the STEM lesson, they could perform a design challenge to
build a shelter that will remain waterproof. This challenge could have further assessment by
measuring how much water falls through the shelter.