Lego Balloon Car STEM

Lego Balloon Car STEM Challenge

This challenge is an absolute hoot! I use this challenge with both my kindergarteners at independent STEM centers and in my after school STEM class, so I lay very few ground rules for how students should make their Lego cars. I do, however, briefly review and introduce force and motion to students so that they consider how heavy their car is, what surface they test on, and how big their balloon should be before they attach it.

Of course, if you happen to teach a grade level where force and motion are a part of your standards, look no further! This is the force and motion STEM challenge for you!

Here is what I ask students to do:

1. Reflect on force and motion with a partner using the recording sheet from my TpT pack

2. Brainstorm how they will build their car, carefully considering size and weight

3. Design a Lego car, leaving room for the "launch piece" (a 1x2 flat with handle). I didn't have many of these pieces, so students had to leave room instead of attaching it to their original design.

4. Bring car into the test area (I use painter's tape on the tile floor to mark off measurements for students' tests) and attach the "launch piece".

5. Attach balloon (for younger students, you may want to do this for them so that they get a big enough balloon and successfully attach it to the 1x2 before it releases) to your car and let it go!

6. Measure how far your car went and record on your recording sheet.

7. Redesign and retest AMRAP (as many rounds as possible #crossfit)

Lego Balloon Car STEM

Lego Balloon Car STEM

Lego Balloon Car STEM Challenge

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