Classroom STEM Challenge: The Paper Tower Showdown
Objective Work with your team to design and build the tallest freestanding tower possible using only standard copy paper and masking tape.
Permitted Materials Each team will receive an identical supply kit containing:
- 20 sheets of standard white printer paper (8.5 by 11 inches)
- 1 roll of beige masking tape (1 inch wide)
- 1 pair of blunt student scissors
- 1 wooden ruler (for planning and checking height only)
Time Limit
- Planning Phase: 5 minutes (sketching and discussing designs; no cutting or taping permitted)
- Construction Phase: 20 minutes (active building)
- Total Time: 25 minutes
Team Roles Every student must choose one designated role before the timer starts:
- Project Architect: Leads the initial design sketch and makes final decisions if the group disagrees on structural changes.
- Supply Specialist: Manages the tape roll and paper supply, cuts tape strips to length, and ensures the team does not waste materials.
- Lead Assembler: Coordinates the hands-on folding, rolling, and taping of the structural columns.
- Quality and Time Inspector: Tracks the countdown clock, reminds teammates of remaining minutes, and tests whether the base remains balanced.
- freestanding:
- Standing upright on its own base without being attached to or propped up by anything else.
- adjacent:
- Next to or adjoining something else.
- stability:
- The condition of being steady, balanced, and not easily knocked down.
- structural:
- Related to the essential parts that give an object its shape, strength, and support.
- assembler:
- A person who puts parts or pieces together to build a complete object.
- vertical:
- Pointing straight up and down perpendicular to a flat surface.
- tie-breaker:
- A special rule used to decide a clear winner when two or more competitors finish with equal scores.
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- 1What is the main goal of the Paper Tower Showdown challenge?
- 2Why are teams given a five-minute Planning Phase before they begin building?
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About this instructions passage for 5th Grade
“Classroom STEM Challenge: The Paper Tower Showdown” is a instructions reading passage about building a paper tower STEM challenge, written for 5th Grade. It takes about 3 minutes to read (386 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.