The Marshmallow Challenge
Build a Tower, Build a Team.
This week, we opened our class with an activity called "The Marshmallow Challenge". The Marshmallow Challenge allowed us to explore how we work together and collaborate in different ways.
THE CHALLENGE
Build the Tallest Freestanding Structure using one marshmallow, 20 sticks of spaghetti, 1 foot of masking tape, and 1 foot of string: The winning team is the one that has the tallest structure measured from the table top surface to the top of the marshmallow.
✦The Entire Marshmallow Must be on Top: The entire marshmallow needs to be on the top of the structure. Cutting or eating part of the marshmallow disqualifies the team.
✦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.
✦Break up the Spaghetti, String or Tape: Teams are free to break the spaghetti, cut up the tape and string to create new structures.
✦The Challenge Lasts 18 minutes: Teams cannot hold on to the structure when the time runs out. Those touching or supporting the structure at the end of the exercise will be disqualified.
THE CHALLENGE
Build the Tallest Freestanding Structure using one marshmallow, 20 sticks of spaghetti, 1 foot of masking tape, and 1 foot of string: The winning team is the one that has the tallest structure measured from the table top surface to the top of the marshmallow.
✦The Entire Marshmallow Must be on Top: The entire marshmallow needs to be on the top of the structure. Cutting or eating part of the marshmallow disqualifies the team.
✦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.
✦Break up the Spaghetti, String or Tape: Teams are free to break the spaghetti, cut up the tape and string to create new structures.
✦The Challenge Lasts 18 minutes: Teams cannot hold on to the structure when the time runs out. Those touching or supporting the structure at the end of the exercise will be disqualified.
REsults
We had one structure that stood and one structure that fell apart in every class! So funny how that happened! See pictures below.
What did we Learn?
After our activity, we had lots to say. We used a hand written Twitter feed to write short responses to the following questions:
1. How did your team work together during the project? #collaboration #teamwork #goteam
2.Kindergarteners do better in the #MarshmallowChallenge than company CEO's and business people. Why do you think that might be?
3. If I had offered a prize of an A Test Grade for the winning team, do you think your group would have been more or less successful? #highstakes
4. What was the key contribution to your success or failure in the Marshmallow Challenge? #highesttower #pileofspaghetti
5. Have you ever attempted something like this before? #comfortzone
6. What did your group do first? #firststep
7. What tips would you give future people attempting the #Marshmallow Challenge?
8. How do you think the #MarshmallowChallenge relates to our broadcasting class?
There was a lot of good insight in the responses such as:
@Robert said "Cooperate with your team"
@John said "I would tell future people to make sure you have sturdy base. If you don't, your tower will most likely fall."
@Erin said "I have never attempted something like this before."
@Anthony said of their failure "We weren't working together"
@Sandro said of the Kindergarteners "They have bigger imaginations and have more fun"
@Bella said of the being offered the A test grade "We would have been less successful because we would be too worried about getting an A."
@Kole said "The Marshmallow Challenge represents the teamwork that we have to use in class."
@Michael said of their first step "We thought of a good idea"
@Eddie said "We all threw in ideas to help each other"
@Kole on the key to success "The key contribution was teamwork"
@Bella said of the Kindergarteners "Kids like to try new things, hoping they work, sometimes they do."
@Alex said "I think that it relates because it requires teamwork and broadcasting does too."
@Francesco said "We had good ideas but we still failed."
We watched the above TED talk by Tom Wujec to wrap up the activity and reflect on our responses.
1. How did your team work together during the project? #collaboration #teamwork #goteam
2.Kindergarteners do better in the #MarshmallowChallenge than company CEO's and business people. Why do you think that might be?
3. If I had offered a prize of an A Test Grade for the winning team, do you think your group would have been more or less successful? #highstakes
4. What was the key contribution to your success or failure in the Marshmallow Challenge? #highesttower #pileofspaghetti
5. Have you ever attempted something like this before? #comfortzone
6. What did your group do first? #firststep
7. What tips would you give future people attempting the #Marshmallow Challenge?
8. How do you think the #MarshmallowChallenge relates to our broadcasting class?
There was a lot of good insight in the responses such as:
@Robert said "Cooperate with your team"
@John said "I would tell future people to make sure you have sturdy base. If you don't, your tower will most likely fall."
@Erin said "I have never attempted something like this before."
@Anthony said of their failure "We weren't working together"
@Sandro said of the Kindergarteners "They have bigger imaginations and have more fun"
@Bella said of the being offered the A test grade "We would have been less successful because we would be too worried about getting an A."
@Kole said "The Marshmallow Challenge represents the teamwork that we have to use in class."
@Michael said of their first step "We thought of a good idea"
@Eddie said "We all threw in ideas to help each other"
@Kole on the key to success "The key contribution was teamwork"
@Bella said of the Kindergarteners "Kids like to try new things, hoping they work, sometimes they do."
@Alex said "I think that it relates because it requires teamwork and broadcasting does too."
@Francesco said "We had good ideas but we still failed."
We watched the above TED talk by Tom Wujec to wrap up the activity and reflect on our responses.