Question to Explore
How can we build the tallest free standing tower using Index cards?
Materials
- Multiple packs of index cards
- a ruler, yard stick, or measuring tape
- a table
Procedure
- First, brainstorm what shapes make strong structures.
- Draft a model of your tower.
- Gather your supplies and begin building.
- Set a time limit for yourself. Somewhere between 8-10 minutes makes it challenging, but you can decide.
- Once the timer is up, stop building. Take your hands off of your tower and see if it can stand on it’s own.
- Using a ruler, yardstick, or measuring tape, measure the height of your tower in inches.
- Try this challenge multiple times to see if you can break your record, either by creating a taller tower or decreasing the amount of time you have to build.
Extensions
- See if your tower can hold an object, such as a book or toy!
- You can also create this pom pom launcher and see if you can knock over your tower!
Follow up Questions
What design features worked well?
What would you change in a future design?
Sample Towers
Photo References
https://300indexcards.blogspot.com/1970/01/tower-out-of-index-cards.html
https://twitter.com/cms_mrp/status/903382108273594368
https://teachersareterrific.ecwid.com/Index-Card-Towers-p134181273