Packard Tanushi Marshmallow Challenge

Challenge: Using 20 spaghetti sticks, and 1 yard of tape/string, make the tallest tower that will hold a marshmallow.

Challenge Objectives: Have a tall tower, and have it be sturdy to hold a marshmallow.

Day 1: We were working on getting the spaghetti to actually stand, instead of making it fall. When we started building, we had other ideas. It was very hard actually get a set idea, but we did. It was a very big 3-D shaped, and oddly shaped, like a house. The marshmallow was right on top. We used no string, and 1/2 of the tape was used. We also used most of the spaghetti. We got a size of 18 in.

We were low on esteem, and we threw stuff at the tower to get to work. We also never had any math in it, and it was all creative process. It was not a very impressive/stable tower, and we got 1st place with it, but not very happy about it.

The timing was very poor. We used most of the time to build, when we should have planned more, than on the way. We spend 2 minutes planning, 15 minutes building, and 1 minute feeling accomplished. The structure was about to fall, and the teamwork was poor. We felt as if we could do better. This is a picture of the end result.

Ted Talk: The talk was very inspiring for us as a group, that kindergartners were better than CEO's and adult's. It also helped knowing that we did better than a lot of executive people. I think that they should give more advantages, such as time and spaghetti. We could have gone higher if we had more. But then other groups would get higher.

We saw that if we had higher stakes, then everyone would rush to finish it as fast as possible. But when they had time to think, they would always make a great structure. It also goes to show that people who control will do worse than people who don't, like CEO's vs Kids. The kids would do better, because they are non-controlling.

They also are more dedicated to making prototypes while building, instead of making 1 big fail-proof structure. They were also more successful in that then the other team. They made it so they prepared to fail, so they can work on the structure. They focused on the marshmallow instead of the supplies. They made sure that they can work on the marshmallow getting high up in the air. They focused on that instead of when you would run out of supplies.

Day 2: The timer started, and a new beginning was starting. We started out with planning what would be best, which was building a triangular prism, then building up. With math, we found out that we could make 3 layers with enough to make the part to hold the marshmallow. We then started building. Our esteem as a team was high, as our logic.

At 4 minutes, we had our base all prepared for this amazing structure. We found out we could use the string for a substitution for the tape. We also could use it for tightening straws for support. At 6 minutes, the 1st layer was complete. We had the idea to make go higher. We would put the prism sideways, and build up.

We struggled with making the top part of our structure secure.  What we did to secure the top part of our structure was by adding some of the string around the top part.  Once we thought that the top part was secure enough we put the marshmallow on top.  As Mr. MCcloud was coming around measuring peoples structures ours was losing balance very quickly and we thought it was going to collapse.

Our group had a very good strategy when it came to planning.  We worked very well together and used out time very wisely.  We managed to get 19 inches on our second day which is one inch taller than we achieved on the first day of the marshmallow challenge.  Not only were we impressed, but other groups were jealous of our amazing building. Here is the team with the end result: