10 Easy STEM Projects for Engaging Students- The Brown Bag Challenge II

Back by popular demand is The Brown Bag STEM Challenge, where materials are low-cost, engagement is high, and everything (well, theoretically anyway) fits in a brown bag.

This curriculum pack offers variety of hands-on activities designed to challenge students in grades K-8 to think critically and creatively while learning to use the Engineering Design Process.

What’s in the Bundle?

The Brown Bag STEM Challenge II Bundle Pack includes ten unique challenges, each focusing on a different engineering design problem. Students will work in teams to design, build, and test their solutions using readily available, everyday materials. This focus on common materials makes the challenges accessible and reduces prep time for teachers:

• Building Boxes: Students will put their structural engineering skills to the test by designing a specific box.
• Derby Cars: Gear up for some friendly competition as students design and race miniature derby cars.
• Hot Air Balloons: Let imaginations soar as students build miniature hot air balloons that rise to the challenge.
• Insulated Ice: How long can your team keep ice from melting? This challenge encourages exploration of insulation techniques.
• Lily Pad Leap: Calling all budding zoologists! Students will design a structure to help frogs jump from lily pad to lily pad.
• Marble Madness: Put those creative juices to work! Students will design a marble maze that that navigates a series of obstacles.
• Paper Rockets: Students will launch into the world of rocket science by crafting and testing paper rockets.
• Perfect Parachutes: Can your team design a parachute that provides a safe and gentle landing?
• Pringle Pods: Like the old-fashioned egg drop, but much less gooey and just as much fun.
• Slingshot Gallery: Design, build, and test your team’s accuracy with a thrilling slingshot gallery challenge.

Each design challenge also includes:

• Teacher guide
• Alignment to NGSS standards
• Printable resources: Each challenge comes with design briefs, challenge criteria, procedure and setup tips, debrief questions, interactive STEM notebook pages, and even a slide deck for presentations (optional).

With the Brown Bag STEM Challenge II Bundle Pack, you can inspire students to develop their STEM skills while using their innovation and creativity. So, grab a brown bag, gather your students, and get ready for a fun-filled exploration of STEM!