January

STEM
3 Low Prep Winter Themed Challenges

Created by Brooke Brown

 Contents
Page 3: Standards Alignment
Page 4: Lesson Plan/Teacher’s Guide
Page 5-6: Teacher Tips and Photos of Possible Finished Products
Page 7: Supplies Checklist
Page 8: Student Journal Cover
Pages 9-11: “Sledding Ramp” instructions, vocabulary cards, and student recording sheet
Pages 12-16: “Hibernation Station” instructions, vocabulary cards, animal cutouts in color
and black and white, and student recording sheet
Pages 17-19: “Snowball Structure” instructions, vocabulary cards, and student recording
sheet
Page 20: Credits
The following STEM challenges are designed to be completed with partners or in small groups. You
might choose to do activities on separate days or in the form of STEM stations that rotate, however,
you will need to allow 45-60 minutes for each activity to be completed. Needed supplies are
inexpensive can be found at most craft stores. I hope you and your students love them!
 January NGSS Alignment
Challenge Engineering Science Math

MP1: Make sense of

K-2-ETS1 Engineering
2.Structure and problems and
Design: Properties of Matter persevere in solving
K-2-ETS1-1, 3-5 ETS1-2, them
Snowball 3-5 ETS1-3 Action/Reaction
forces, tension and
MP.2: Reason
abstractly and
Structure 3-5-ETS1 Engineering compression forces,
weight, balance,
quantitatively
MP.4: Model with
Design:
stability mathematics
3-5-ETS1-1, 3-5 ETS1-2,
MP.5: Use appropriate
3-5 ETS1-3 tools strategically

MP1: Make sense of

K-2-ETS1 Engineering problems and
Design: K-PS2 Motion and persevere in solving
K-2-ETS1-1, 3-5 ETS1-2, 3-5 Stability: Forces and them
Sledding ETS1-3 interactions
3-PS2 Motion and
MP.2: Reason
abstractly and
Ramp 3-5-ETS1 Engineering
Design:
Stability: Forces and
Interactions
quantitatively
MP.4: Model with
3-5-ETS1-1, 3-5 ETS1-2, 3-5 mathematics
ETS1-3 MP.5: Use appropriate
tools strategically

K-LS1 From Molecules to

MP1: Make sense of
Organisms: Structures
K-2-ETS1 Engineering problems and
and Processes
Design: persevere in solving
K-ESS2 Earth’s Systems
K-2-ETS1-1, 3-5 ETS1-2, 3-5 them
1.Structure, Function,
Hibernation ETS1-3
and Information
MP.2: Reason
abstractly and
Processing
Station 3-5-ETS1 Engineering
3-LS4 Biological
quantitatively
Design: MP.4: Model with
Evolution: Unity and
3-5-ETS1-1, 3-5 ETS1-2, 3-5 mathematics
Diversity
ETS1-3 MP.5: Use appropriate
3-ESS3 Earth and
tools strategically
Human Activity

©Brooke Brown
STEM in a SNAP
Lesson Plan for any STEM Challenge
Challenge: ___________________________________________
Date/Time: ___________________________________________
Grade Level(s): _______________________________________

STANDARDS & S T
CONCEPTS E M
• Share the challenge, objectives, rules, and time limit.
SHARE • Ask students to identify the problem and purpose for the challenge.
• Share permitted materials and review safety expectations.
(Teacher Guided,
• Brainstorm tips and tricks for how materials might work and fit together.
whole class) • Have students model how to use materials appropriately.
• Trigger background knowledge by asking students to share what they already know about
SPARK the structure.
(Teacher Guided, • Display or project real world Google images or video clips of the structure.
whole class) • Discuss similarities and differences between the structures.
• Discuss what might be important about specific parts of the structures.
IMAGINE • Students discuss design ideas with partners or groups.
(Student-driven, • Students plan and sketch initial blueprints on notebook paper or dry erase boards, then label
partners or groups) possible parts.
CREATE
TEST • Students build and create with materials, test designs and functions, and improve models.
IMPROVE • Students record test results, final blueprints, and reflective questions.
(Student-driven, • Teacher guides, prompts, questions, and models as necessary.
partners or groups)
REFLECT • Students share and discuss creations with the class.
(Teacher Guided, • Students share successes and struggles that they experienced.
whole class) • Teacher and students refer back to STEM processes and skills utilized during challenge.

©Brooke Brown
 Teacher Tips & Discussion Questions
Sledding Ramp: This challenge is designed for students to experiment with ramps/inclined planes and how
the height of a ramp affects the speed and distance of an object that slides down it. Students will also
experiment with how friction affects the motion of an object. Cardstock can be folded into a sloping shape
similar to a slide, and can be folded upward on each side to keep the bottle caps from sliding off. Linking
cubes and unifix cubes taped to the ramp make it easy and quick for students to raise and lower the height
and test/measure each “sledding” distance. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: How are ramps and inclined planes used in
real life? How did raising the height affect the speed and distance of your sled? How did extending or
shortening the length of the ramp affect the speed and distance of your sled? How did friction affect the
speed and distance of your sled?

Hibernation Station: This challenge allows students to experiment with various forms of insulation and how it is
applicable to the real world. Students must design a shelter that will hold at least three hibernating “animals”
and use the materials provided to make it as insulated as possible. Ensure that you discuss each material
that you allow as you introduce the challenge, giving students the name of the material and asking them to
share how/where that material might be used. Students may choose to insulate just the outside of the
shelter or fill the space inside as well. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: What types of things need to be insulated
(buildings/shelters, people, drinks) and why? How do you think houses are insulated? What types of clothing
provide insulation? How are some natural animal shelters insulated?

Snowball Structure: This challenge will not require much modeling, even for younger students, as the process
is fairly simple and creativity is highly encouraged. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: What types of two-dimensional and
three-dimensional shapes did you use in your design? How do you think the shapes and patterns might
relate to the strength and height of your tower? What parts of your tower were most important for it to be
the most balanced and stable? How are real tower designs similar to and different from your design?
Possible Finished Products
 JANUARY
STEM Challenge Supplies
Number PER
Challenge Item GROUP
I Have It

sheets of cardstock 1-2

unifix or linking cubes 24-30
Scotch tape 1 roll
Sledding Ramp
Plastic bottle lids 1
yardsticks or 1
measuring tape
paper plates 1
sheets of cardstock 4
insulation scraps such 1 small
as fleece, flannel, wool, container
Hibernation batting, foam, cotton
Station balls, or foam board
Scotch tape 1 roll
Dixie cups with animal 4-6
cutouts taped to the
front
mini marshmallows 30-40
Snowball
toothpicks 50-60
Structure
rulers 1
©Brooke Brown
My January
STEM
Journal

Name:

©Brooke Brown
sledding Ramp
Your friends are having a sledding contest!
Construct a ramp that will make your sled
travel the farthest distance.

Materials:
* Cardstock
* Unifix cubes or linking cubes
* Scotch tape
* Plastic bottle caps for “sleds”
* Rulers and/or measuring tape.

©Brooke Brown
 Sledding Ramp
Vocabulary Cards

friction
©Brooke Brown

surface resistance to motion

inclined plane
a ramp or plane that slopes at an upward angle

speed
how fast an object travels

distance
the amount of space between two things
 Name:________________

Sledding Ramp
Can you construct a ramp that will make
your sled travel the farthest distance?
Materials: Tests:
Test Ramp Height Sled Distance
1
2
3

Blueprint: Which part of your design worked well and WHY?

Which part of your design did not work well and WHY?

How did you IMPROVE your design?

©Brooke Brown
Hibernation Station
The animals need a shelter to keep them safe and
warm in the winter. Construct the warmest shelter
possible that will hold at least 3 animals.

Materials:
* Cardstock
* Paper plates for base
* A variety of scraps to test insulation
such as fleece, flannel, wool, batting,
foam, cotton balls, or foam board
* Scotch tape
* Dixie cups with animal cut outs taped to
front

©Brooke Brown
Hibernation Station
Vocabulary Cards

shelter
©Brooke Brown

a dwelling or home designed for protection

insulate
to cover with a material that prevents heat from escaping

hibernate
to spend the winter in a dormant condition

temperature
a measure of the warmth or coldness of something
Hibernation Station Hibernation Station
Challenge Challenge

©Brooke Brown ©Brooke Brown

Hibernation Station Hibernation Station
Challenge Challenge

©Brooke Brown
 Name:________________

Hibernation Station
Can you construct the warmest shelter possible
that will hold at least 3 animals?
Materials:
How many animals does
your shelter hold?
________
How do the design and the materials used in your
Blueprint:
shelter make it as warm and protected as possible?

How could you IMPROVE your design?

©Brooke Brown
Snowball structure
You have been asked to create a sculpture for the
winter party. Construct the tallest tower possible
using only marshmallows and toothpicks.

Materials:
* Small marshmallows
* Toothpicks
* Measuring tape or rulers

©Brooke Brown
Snowball Structure
Vocabulary Cards ©Brooke Brown

three-dimensional
a solid shape that has depth, width, and height

pyramid
a solid with a polygonal base and triangular faces
that meet at a point

cube
a solid made up of six equal squares

prism
a solid with parallel bases that are congruent
polygons, and faces that are parallelograms
 Name:________________

Snowball Structure
Can you construct the tallest tower possible using only
marshmallows and toothpicks?
Materials: Tests:
Test Structure Height
1
2
3
Which three-dimensional shapes worked best and WHY?
Blueprint:

Which three-dimensional shapes did not work well and WHY?

How did you IMPROVE your design?

©Brooke Brown
 Credits
Thank you for
your purchase!