Pasta Tower CHALLENGE

winners announced
Challenge Details

YOUR CHALLENGE IS:

USE SPAGHETTI AND MINI MARSHMALLOWS TO BUILD THE TALLEST TOWER

Challenge Closed





K-12 CHALLENGE

Using 50 pieces of Spaghetti and 30 mini marshmallows, build the tallest free-standing tower you can. Submit photos of your tower (6 max), include one photo showing its height. Also include a text description of your design. Be sure to review the CONTEST RULES and DESIGN GUIDELINES for all challenge details, including the privacy requirements: NO FACES OR NAMES in your submission. Take your awesomeness to new heights... and good luck!

WINNERS

Grades K-12
>
1
Grades K-12 Winner
Jasmine S., Xander S.
Woodbridge, CT
Spaghetti Skyscraper
Grades K-12 Finalist
Bhavesh P.
Culver City, CA
Pyramid Pyramid
Grades K-12 Finalist
Euan M.
North Charleston, SC
Spiral Spire
Grades K-12 Finalist
Shriya M.
Littleton, CO
Tower of Power
Grades K-12 SemiFinalist
Alexis L.
Los Altos, CA
Gazebo with a Lightning Rod
Grades K-12 SemiFinalist
Christopher K.
Brooklyn, NY
the pasta tower of pisa
Grades K-12 SemiFinalist
Ernest P., Talmage S.
Monroe, UT
Triangles are the strongest
Grades K-12 SemiFinalist
Ethan M., Jarom B., Logan H.
Monroe, UT
Hexagon
Grades K-12 SemiFinalist
Jacie E., Lucy A.
Monroe, UT
Mrs. Mrangar's Tower of DOOM
Grades K-12 SemiFinalist
Mayur T.
New Hyde Park, NY
The Lengthy Spaghetti Tower
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DATES / JUDGING CRITERIA / PRIZES

You have to play by the rules to win.

WHO CAN ENTER

Individuals or Teams of up to 4 Students
All teammates must be in the same judging category
Grades K-12 Students
In the United States

JUDGING CRITERIA

Grades K-12
 
40
POINTS
Height of your Pasta Tower (On a scale of 0 = Floor to 40 = Celing)
40
POINTS
Creativity of Your Pasta Tower Design
20
POINTS
Communication of your Design

HOW TO ENTER

Please review the Challenge Rules and Design Guidelines prior to creating your entry.

Challenge Rules Design Guidelines

TEACHERS
Sign up to register your class and manage entries. We now support Google Classroom too!

STUDENTS
Sign up on your own, or use a code to participate with your class.

STUDENT USING GOOGLE CLASSROOM?
Login to Submit

STUDENT & TEACHER SIGN UP
PROGRAM DATES
Challenge Launch
15
March
Entries Close
11
July
Semifinalists Announced
07
August
Finalists Announced
13
August
Winners Announced
20
August
Challenge Launch
15
March
Entries Close
11
July
Semifinalists Announced
07
August
Finalists Announced
13
August
Winners Announced
20
August

PRIZES

 

Dive Into The Challenge

Lesson Plan Details and Challenge Tips!

1. Links & Lessons

Learn the Engineering Design Process

2. Digital Tools

Learn to edit photos

3. Brainstorm & Design

Discover the properties of your materials

4. Build & Iterate

Build your pasta tower
Links & Lessons
Digital Tools
Brainstorm & Design
Build & Iterate
Links & Lessons
>
Links & Lessons
Digital Tools
Brainstorm & Design
Build & Iterate

LEARN ABOUT THE CHALLENGE

The Engineering Design Process is a series of steps engineers use to solve a problem. Often times, the problem involves designing a product (ex. structure, machine or computer code) that meets specific criteria. Students will learn/review the engineering design process.

Videos

Brainstorm & Design

It's brainstorm time! Students will explore the properties of spaghetti and marshmallows to supersize their free-standing towers.
Brainstorming Idea
SPAGHETTI PROPERTIES

What properties does pasta have that could be useful in your build? What makes it buckle, flex or snap? If you hold the spaghetti vertical, how does it deal with a load above it? If you place it horizontal, how does it deal with a load above it? How can you make it stronger? 

 

Brainstorming Idea
MARSHMALLOW PROPERTIES

What properties do mini marshmallows have that could be useful in your build? Will you use your mini marshmallows as structural nodes? Do you want to split them? Mush them? Stretch them?

 

 

Digital Tools

Take your photos to the next level by using photo editing tools.
Native Tools

Microsoft Photo offers free, basic photo editing software for PC users.

iPhoto is free for Mac users and is a powerful beginner photo editing tool.

Google photos has simple photo editing capabilities and is free for Android or iOS users.

WeVideo is a cloud-based photo/video editor that is included in the Creative Apps bundle for Chromebooks which may have been pre-purchased by a school with their chromebooks.

Build & Iterate

It’s build time! Students will build, evaluate and refine their pasta tower.
FOR THE CLASSROOM

Group Size

Max 4 Students per Team

Approach

Build pasta tower

Material

50 Pieces of Uncooked Spaghetti, 30 Mini Marshmallows
 
 
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LAUNCHING THE INNOVATORS OF TOMORROW

Future Engineers hosts online innovation challenges for K-12 students. In 2014, Future Engineers launched its inaugural 3D printing in space challenge, sponsored by the ASME Foundation with technical assistance from NASA, which produced historic achievements including the first student-designed 3D print in space. Based on that success, and through the support of the U.S. Department of Education's SBIR Program, Future Engineers launched a multi-challenge platform in 2018 capable of hosting STEAM challenges of all kinds. All challenges are free for student/classroom participation.