Spaghetti Tower
Mr. Bucci - Technology 8
Pomona Middle School
www.bucciteacher.com

Objective:

To construct a tower as high as possible using spaghetti (members) and marshmallows (joints).  Pieces of spaghetti (members) may be broken into desired lengths.

Standard Statement:

Recognize and use the technological design process to solve problems.

Use the technological method to analyze and solve the problem.

SHOW YOUR WORK on this paper.

1.      Define the problem. {What is the problem?}

2.      Develop alternate solutions. {Sketch or list possible solutions.}

3.      Select a solution. {Pick an idea your group agrees upon.}

4.      Implement and evaluate the solution. {Build your spaghetti stick tower.}

5.      Redesign the solution. {Modify your tower if needed.}

6.      Interpret the solution. {Analyze all the towers in your class.}

Materials Needed
Spaghetti
mini-marshmallows
fake money in 5's 10's & 20’s

Instructions

1. Build the tallest tower you can out of marshmallows (joints) and spaghetti (members).
2. The catch? You've got a budget of only 400 dollars. One piece of spaghetti (member) costs ten dollars and each marshmallow (joint) costs five dollars.
3. Form teams and compare your designs and buildings.
4. Have a member from your group be the banker. They will keep track of how much your team spends.  Each time you need materials, go to the banker. If you buy materials you decide not to use, you may return them to the banker for money.
5. Before you begin building or buying your materials, draw your design. Figure out ways to make the tower taller and sturdier.
6. Now test your designs by building your towers.

7. How will you make your tower both tall AND sturdy? Are there adjustments to the design that you need to make?
                                            
                                 HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES

 
Group Evaluation Worksheet

Analysis
 

1. Draw a large diagram of your Spaghetti Tower in the space below.

2.       What do you like and dislike about your current design? ____________________________
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3.       What was the biggest challenge you faced? How did you overcome it? __________________
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4.       If you had an opportunity to redesign your tower, what would you change? _______________________________________________________________________
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5.      How much money was left over as a group? ________

Self Evaluation Worksheet

 1.         How did you personally feel while doing this activity? Did you ever want to give up? ______________________________________________________________________________
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2.    How similar is your design to others in the room? _______________________________________
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3.   If you could add another material to the mix, what would it be and why? ______________________________________________________________________________
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4. What was your contribution to the group? _____________________________________________

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