Spaghetti Challenge

Big Idea: What type of foundation best supports the tall structure of a tower?

Focus question: How can we build a foundation that best supports a tall structure of a tower using spaghetti noodles and marshmallows?

Prediction:

·        If the foundation is less wide than the structure, it will not support it.

·        If the structure of the top is heavier than the foundation, the foundation will not support it.

·        If we do not have enough materials, we cannot build a tall tower.

*My predictions are supported by my belief that if one builds a tall structure of a tower, a heavier and stronger foundation will need to be built to support the height structure.

Planning:

Materials:  Spaghetti, marshmallows, flat surface, pencil, notebook paper

First, we brainstormed how to build our foundation. Then, we broke the spaghetti noodles in half so we could put our noodles together to make the structure stronger. Next, we used two noodle halves to connect marshmallows as we built our structure in a square foundation. Then, we connected spaghetti noodles on each diagonal in the square foundation to make the foundation more secure. Using the same foundation and structure layout, we began to build the structure up into a tower with two spaghetti noodles and marshmallows attached at each end. We continued to build our structure up until the structure could hole no more noodles or marshmallows. Next, we drew a picture of our structure answering the focus question using a pencil and notebook paper. Then, we wrote about our drawing answering the questions. Finally, we shared our drawings and interpretations of how we can build a foundation that best supports a tall structure of a tower using spaghetti noodles and marshmallows, as a class, and engaged in inquiry and discussion to further our learning of the topic.

Data : 

This is a picture of our foundation for a tower structure. We built it heavy on the bottom and used the same layout as we began to build up. We used two spaghetti noodles to attach each marshmallow. Our structure has a square frame with diagonal supports in between the square frame on each side.  

Claims and evidence:

We claim that if the foundation is less wide than the structure, it will not support it. This proved to be true during our experiment and continued to build the tower up within the same width of the foundation. We claim that if the structure of the top is heavier than the foundation, the foundation will not support it. This proved to be true during our experiment when we used the same pattern of our bottom foundation to continue building up. It made the top heavier than the bottom because the amount of materials added up to be heavier than the bottom support. Our tower eventually leaned over and collapsed. We claim that if we do not have enough materials, we cannot build a tall tower. This also proved to be true because we ran out of materials. However, we claim that we could have used less spaghetti noodles as we built up to maintain less weight toward the top of the structure in order for our foundation to support our tower. We know this to be true because when we used two spaghetti noodles with one marshmallow on each side as we built up from our foundation, it made our tower weak and eventually collapsed.

Conclusion:

After sharing my interpretation and picture of a how we can build a foundation that best supports a tall structure of a tower using spaghetti noodles and marshmallows, I observed my peers’ drawings and listened to their interpretations for building a strong tower. Some peers had really tall towers! I realized that we built our structure the same from bottom up. Each level had the same weight which is why we could not continue building up because the bottom weight could not support more weight than it had. Our hypothesis was correct. Our group found this to be true because as we continued to build up using two spaghetti noodles with one marshmallow on each side, the structure began to tilt and eventually fell over and collapsed. When we observed our peers’ tower structure that was so tall, they had more weight on the bottom and less weight on the top (i.e., more materials at the bottom and less toward the top).

Reflection/Questions:

In our discussions, we talked about the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I am wondering about the structure of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Our structure ended up leaning but eventually collapsed.

·        How was the structure built to support the Leaning Tower of Pisa?

·        Was the Leaning Tower of Pisa built to lean?

·        How are other towers built?

Literacy Connections:

Super Structures by DK Publishing