Patriot Pinnacle

Patriot  Pinnacle

Patriot Pinnacle dares teams to reach for the sky! Armed with only surprise materials, builders must rise to the challenge and push their monuments to new heights. But the climb doesn’t end there; only those who can pull together, proudly wave their flag, and finish strong will stand victorious. 

3.1. Conduct investigations to explain the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces exerted on an object, varying the size, number, and direction of the forces. Examples: balanced forces pushing from both sides of an object, such as a box, producing no motion; unbalanced force on one side of an object, such as a ball, producing motion

Suggestions and Resources:

To practice, find activities that require students to build something specific (the lightest, can support the most weight, can go the farthest, etc.) using random supplies. The biggest issue we see is teams falling apart because students struggle to work together. Focus on teamwork, including the process of developing ideas, putting them on paper, contributing in a group setting, and assigning roles. Make sure students know how to share roles so one student doesn’t dominate the event. Also, make sure you practice using a timer. Students will have a time limit, so they need to get used to going through the engineering design process in a short amount of time.

Here are some websites for STEM challenges to practice with:

https://www.vivifystem.com/blog/2025/how-to-teach-engineering

https://www.giftofcuriosity.com/engineering-challenges-for-kids-steam/

https://thehomeschoolscientist.com/paper-structures-engineering-challenge/