Marshmallow Challenge and My Last Week of School

Sunday, June 9, 2013 - 1 comment

Friends~I just finished my last week of school with my students. Tomorrow, I will be heading into the classroom to pack up the room and prepare for next year. I really am going to miss this class. Their love for learning and their excitement for challenges will always bring a smile to my face. They are going to be brilliant third graders!

I wanted to share one of the special activities my class participated in last week. The Marshmallow Challenge! We started by reading The Marshmallow Incident by Judi Barrett. Click below to watch a video preview of the book.

The story is a great lead in to the idea of marshmallows being used for more than just hot cocoa. Download a FREE 4 page file with comprehension sheets for The Marshmallow Incident!

Just click below!

The Marshmallow IncidentPDF, cooperative learning, photo of

Grab the book by clicking the image below!

I then present the idea of building 3D shapes with line segments (toothpicks) and vertices (marshmallows). It is a great way to tap into geometry with your students.

There are 6 tasks that the class will need to complete. The students are put into groups of around 6 students.

I pass out Marshmallow Tool kits to the teams.

Each student has a job such as the designer, builder, runner, and brain.

Once they complete the tasks, they then take their shapes and connect them together to create a structure. The ultimate challenge is to connect their structure to other groups by making a bridge.

Here is the catch...if the students run out of supplies during the tasks they will need to send the runner and the brain to get more. The brain must answer a question in order for the runner to be allowed to get more supplies. I used these fun Smarty Pants cards for 2nd grade. I love that there is a brain on the cards!

Take a peek at some of the fun from my Marshmallow Challenge!