1 - Getting Started ~4 mins
Look at this challenge: build the tallest tower you can that stands on its own and holds a small weight on top.
Think of a GAA goalpost or a church spire near you: tall, but still standing. What keeps them from tipping?
We will use newspaper, masking tape, drinking straws and card. What do you already know about making something tall stay upright?
Keep the hook light. Hold up one sheet of newspaper and a straw (or show the tray briefly from the front) so pupils can see the materials, but do not hand out kits yet.
Key questions: What makes a tall thing tip over? Have you seen a tall structure that stays up (a GAA goalpost, a round tower or church spire nearby, a pylon, a crane)?
Capture two or three quick ideas on the board, then move on. Success criteria are agreed in the next step.
2 - Ask and Imagine ~6 mins
Our challenge is the tallest free-standing tower that holds the test weight.
Success means three things: it stands on its own with nothing holding it, we measure how tall it is in centimetres, and it holds the test weight on top for a few seconds without collapsing.
Three words will help us today. Free-standing means the tower stands up on its own, with nothing holding it. Stability is how well it resists tipping. A prototype is a first model we build so we can test an idea.
What shapes and ideas might help?
| Concept | Why it matters | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Free-standing — a structure that stands up on its own without being held, taped to the table, or leaning on anything else | If it needs holding, it has not met the challenge yet | A free-standing tower stays upright on the desk with nothing holding it |
| Stability — how well a structure resists tipping or falling when it is built or loaded | A tall tower is useless if a small nudge knocks it over | A wide base makes a tower more stable than a narrow one |
| Prototype — a first working model built to test an idea before a final version | Engineers build, test and improve; the first try is meant to teach you something | Your newspaper tower is a prototype you test with a weight, then improve once |
Agree success criteria with the class (write them on the board):
- stands free on the desk (nothing holding it)
- as tall as possible (we will measure in centimetres)
- holds the test weight on top for a few seconds without collapsing
Imagine beat: whole-class brainstorm. Draw out: wide base, triangles, rolled tubes (stiffer than flat sheets), cross-braces, weight low down. Capture ideas on the IWB. No bad ideas at this stage.
Nature of STEM: engineers design structures that must stay up under load. Shape and joins matter as much as the material.
Misconception to head off: taller always means better. A short, stable tower that holds the weight beats a tall one that tips. Both height and load count.
3 - Plan Your Tower ~6 mins
In your group, agree one design. Your kit will be about 6 sheets of newspaper, one roll of masking tape, about 10 drinking straws and a few card offcuts.
On your Design Brief page, sketch your tower. Label the shapes you will use, where the base goes, and which materials go where. Keep it simple enough to build with that kit.
Before the lesson: print the Investigation Journal pages (Design Brief for this step; Prototype Eval for Test and Improve). Set out one materials kit per group on trays, but keep trays aside until the Build step. Write or project the kit list on the board so groups plan from known quantities. Optional support: pre-roll 2–3 newspaper tubes per tray for groups who need a faster start.
Groups of three or four work well. Circulate and push for labelled sketches: base shape, triangle braces, rolled tubes, joins. If a group only draws a stick-figure tower, ask: Where is the wide base? What stops it swaying?
Constraints to name aloud: only the materials listed; free-standing (no tape to the desk); must hold the test weight.
When sketches are roughly ready, move on. Perfect drawings are not the goal; a buildable plan is.
4 - Build the Tower ~20 mins
Build your tower from the kit on your tray. Test stability as you go: does it wobble? Can you make the base wider or add a triangle brace?
Stop building when time is called so every group can measure and load-test.
Before the Lesson
- One tray per group ready before the lesson: about 6 sheets of newspaper, 1 roll of masking tape, about 10 drinking straws, a few card offcuts
- Optional support path: pre-roll 2–3 newspaper tubes on support trays so less confident groups spend time on base and braces rather than rolling
- One test weight per group (small bean tin or about 200 g mass) kept aside until the Test step
- One metre stick per group for height
- Clear floor or desk space so towers are not bumped
During the build
Hand out pre-set trays at the start of this step (aim for under 1 minute so about 19 minutes remain for building). Remind: no taping the tower to the desk. Circulate. Praise groups that pause to test a wobble and fix it. Watch for towers that are pure height with no base: prompt What happens if someone walks past and the floor shakes a little?
Differentiation: less confident groups can aim for a shorter, rock-solid tower that holds the weight. Offer the pre-rolled tubes so they can form a free-standing, load-testable prototype before time is called. Confident groups can chase height and still pass the load test. Both paths meet the criteria if free-standing and load-bearing.
Safety: mind eyes and fingers if a structure collapses; stand back when something starts to lean. Tidy tape scraps as you go so floors stay safe.
Give a five-minute and a two-minute warning so groups finish joins rather than starting a new storey too late. Every group should have a free-standing tower ready for the load test, even if it is short.
5 - Test Height and Load ~8 mins
Measure your tower's height in centimetres with the metre stick. Check it stands on its own. Then place the test weight gently on top. Does it hold?
Record height, free-standing yes or no, and load held yes or no on your Prototype Eval page.
Recording: each group records height, free-standing result and load result on their Prototype Eval page. That is the main results record (the Design Brief held the plan sketch). If you want a quick whole-class comparison, jot group heights on the board (allow space for up to about 10 groups); do not treat the on-screen table as a second full write-up.
How to run the test fairly:
- Same metre-stick method for every group: base of stick on the desk, read the top of the tower
- Free-standing check first: hands off, nothing taped to the desk
- Same test weight for every group; place gently in the centre of the top; hold counts if it stays for a few seconds without collapse
If a tower fails the load test, that is useful data, not failure. Note it on the Prototype Eval page and save the improve step for one clear fix.
Worked cycle to model once if the class needs it (teacher notes only, not on the board): I wonder whether a wide base helps under load. I predict the wide-base tower will hold the tin. I measure 48 cm and place the tin. I observed it held for five seconds with a small lean. I think the wide base made it harder to tip, so the tin stayed on.
Keep the room calm during load tests: one group at a time if space is tight, or all groups test at desks with clear sightlines. Mind eyes and fingers when a structure collapses; stand back during the load test. Build a short calm pause into this block so placing weights is not rushed.
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