Team building exercise for middle school students. Building relationships, introducing them to the IB design cycle

1. The Marshmallow
Challenge
Teamwork Challenge

3. Do you have all
of your
supplies?

4. Instructions

5. Instructions
Build the Tallest
Freestanding
Structure

6. Instructions
The winning team is the
one that has the tallest
structure measured
from the table top
surface to the top of the
marshmallow.

7. That means the
structure cannot be
suspended from a higher
structure, like a chair,
ceiling or chandelier.
Instructions

8. The entire
marshmallow needs to
be on the top of the
structure.
Instructions

9. Instructions
Cutting or eating
part of the
marshmallow
disqualifies the
team.

10. Use as Much or as Little of the
Kit: The team can use as many
or as few of the 20 spaghetti
sticks, as much or as little of
the string or tape.
Instructions

11. Break up the Spaghetti, String or Tape
Teams are free to break the spaghetti,
cut up the tape and string to create
new structures.
Instructions

12. 18 minutes
Instructions
The Challenge
Lasts

13. Teams cannot hold
on to the structure
when the time
runs out.
Instructions

14. Those touching or
supporting the
structure at the
end of the exercise
will be disqualified.
Instructions

15. Questions
???

16. Instructions
Build the Tallest
Freestanding
Structure

17. Instructions
The winning team is the
one that has the tallest
structure measured
from the table top
surface to the top of the
marshmallow.

18. That means the
structure cannot be
suspended from a higher
structure, like a chair,
ceiling or chandelier.
Instructions

19. The entire
marshmallow needs to
be on the top of the
structure.
Instructions

20. Instructions
Cutting or eating
part of the
marshmallow
disqualifies the
team.

21. Use as Much or as Little of the
Kit: The team can use as many
or as few of the 20 spaghetti
sticks, as much or as little of
the string or tape.
Instructions

22. Break up the Spaghetti, String or Tape
Teams are free to break the spaghetti,
cut up the tape and string to create
new structures.
Instructions

23. 18 minutes
Instructions
The Challenge
Lasts

24. Teams cannot hold
on to the structure
when the time
runs out.
Instructions

25. Those touching or
supporting the
structure at the
end of the exercise
will be disqualified.
Instructions

26. Questions
???

27. START

28. Measure
& Record

29. The Winning Team
is:
Table #P1-T3
Table #P5-T?

30. Table #P?-T?
The “ODD DAY”
Winning Team is:

31. The Essential
Questions:

32. 1. What did this activity show you about yourself?
2. What did this activity show you about working as a team?
3.What will you take away from this lesson?
4. How will this help you be a better classmate/team member?
5. How will this help you be a better student?
6. How does this activity affect our classroom community?
The Essential Questions:

33. The assumption in the Marshmallow
Challenge is that marshmallows are
light and fluffy and easily supported
by the spaghetti sticks.

34. When you actually try to
build the structure,
the marshmallows don’t
seem so light.

35. The lesson in the marshmallow challenge is that we need
to identify the assumptions in our project
- the cost of the product
-the amount e amount of time it will take us to complete the project
-the amount of help/skill we will need to acquire...
We have to challenge our assumptions/stay open-minded
That’s the mechanism that leads to effective innovation.

37. Business
School Grads
Kindergarders

39. CLEAN UP
Turn In

40. DONE!

41. Adopted from Tom Wujec’s presentation at
marshmallowchallenge.com
and
Aaron Ramponi’s
The Marshmallow Challenge: Team Bonding and Building
for Student Journalists
Appleton North High School
Appleton, Wis.