The Marshmallow Metaphor—Iterative Design Tailored to 6th Graders

In an effort to integrate engineering concepts into a middle school environment, 6 th graders were tasked with a design lab popularly known as “the marshmallow challenge.” In this lab, the class was divided into teams of four (or three, in the case of the third section), and competed to build the tallest free standing structure out of uncooked spaghetti, tape, and string in under 18 minutes. However, in a clever twist, the marshmallow needed to be at the highest point, or the tower would be disqualified. Each section was presented with subtle changes to the challenge, such as offering a reward for the winning team in the second class. Instead of beginning the challenge right away, a brief 10 minute lesson was included to give perspective to the lab. The content and relevance of this lesson will be detailed in the paper. In all, the objectives of this workshop were the following: Student Centered Introduce topics of engineering using a joint lecture and hands-on approach Generate interest in engineering Encourage creative thought and problem solving when presented with constraints Help students understand the role of failure in design and the value of prototyping Research Centered Examine the teamwork dynamics and processes of each individual group Identify trends specific to teams and similarities in designs across the three sections  Determine if students retain the new information presented outside of the general science curriculum. During the lab, each team was observed to some degree for certain qualities and actions. A general synthesis of the section-wide performance reveals a trend where later classes produced taller and overall better structures than earlier sections. Notes taken during the competition and results of the competitions will be presented and compared to each other. Results of a post-activity survey concerning material covered during the 40 minute session will be included and evaluated to determine if students are retaining the information. This paper will be of interest to any school looking to implement an engineering related activity and tie in several engineering concepts to the lab. Those who favor the integration of engineering in the K-12 curriculum will also find this information useful and encouraging.