Classroom STEM Challenge: Building a Freestanding Paper Sign
Challenge Overview
In this engineering design challenge, your team will design and construct an independent, freestanding tabletop sign. The goal is to build a structure that elevates an informational display card at least six inches above the table surface using only the designated materials. The sign must remain balanced and upright without being anchored to the desk or supported by outside objects.
Materials and Equipment per Team
Gather the following standardized materials from the supply station:
- 4 sheets of standard white printer paper (8.5 by 11 inches, 20-pound basis weight)
- 12 inches of standard 0.75-inch-wide beige masking tape
- 1 wooden or plastic 12-inch metric/customary ruler
- 1 pair of classroom safety scissors
- 1 index card (3 by 5 inches) to serve as the display sign face
- 1 handheld stopwatch or digital classroom timer
- freestanding:
- Standing upright on its own without being attached to or supported by another object.
- compression:
- A pressing or squeezing force that acts to flatten or shorten a material.
- rigidity:
- The physical property of being stiff, firm, and resistant to bending or deforming.
- blueprint:
- A detailed technical drawing or diagram that guides the construction of a structure.
- struts:
- Rigid structural pieces placed at an angle to resist compression and brace a frame.
- footprint:
- The total surface area covered by the base of a structure on the floor or table.
- resilience:
- The ability of a structure or material to withstand external forces without failing.
- compliance:
- The act of meeting all stated rules, standards, and design limits.
One passage, many ways to practice
Reading-skill questions, word work and writing prompts — all built from this text.
Main Idea
Identify the central idea and explain how important details develop it.
Context Clues
Use clues in the passage to work out what words mean. A separate printable Vocabulary worksheet is also available.
Summarize
Select, organize, and restate the most important information without adding opinion.
Structure
Analyze how sections and organizational choices build the text's ideas or effects.
Writing Prompts
Use the passage as a springboard for short written responses, from personal reflection to evidence-based arguments.
Ready to use this passage in class?
Start free with the Mixed worksheet and 3 PDF downloads each week. Focused skill sets depend on plan.
Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1Why are students prohibited from incorporating the ruler or scissors directly into the sign's final structure?
- 2According to Phase 1, what mechanical weakness of flat paper can be overcome by forming it into cylinders or triangular prisms?
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About this instructions passage for 8th Grade
“Classroom STEM Challenge: Building a Freestanding Paper Sign” is a instructions reading passage about Tabletop Engineering Challenge, written for 8th Grade. It takes about 5 minutes to read (722 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.