We participated in a STEM challenge titled "Free Sam." The objective was to release a Lego character named Sam, although our group opted to name their character differently. For instance, Wyatt suggested calling his character "Jimmy." The challenge required the use of a plastic cup, a pipe cleaner, and a paper clip. The first group to free their character from beneath the cup, utilizing only the provided materials, successfully completed the task.
During the challenge, Theodore inquired, "Are we allowed to break the plastic cup?" in an attempt to find a shortcut. Despite this, Group 3 had no trouble solving the puzzle, as everyone demonstrated creativity and resourcefulness in utilizing the materials at hand.
Most groups fashioned a circle with the pipe cleaner, which they placed around the cup. They then used the paper clip to lift the pipe cleaner off the surface, causing the character to fall and thus freeing it from the cup.
This activity not only enhanced our problem-solving, teamwork, innovation, and communication skills, but it also inspired a desire to take on more challenges. Wyatt, for example, came up with the idea of building a floating boat using loose materials like Popsicle sticks and plastic bottles, with the goal of determining how much weight it could hold before sinking.
Blueprints have already been drafted, and construction has commenced. Now, we eagerly await to see which boat will rise to the challenge.
