Are you looking for the perfect Thanksgiving engineering activities to bring some seasonal fun into your classroom? Or maybe you need to keep your students engaged during the excitement and chaos before the holiday break… Either way, check out these exciting engineering design challenges that are sure to keep your students’ interest.
Thanksgiving Table STEM Challenge
In this Thanksgiving engineering challenge, students will save Thanksgiving by designing and building a table to support a turkey and all the fixings! First, students brainstorm ideas for their design. Then they use household materials to build a model dinner table. Finally, test how much “food” (aka books with pictures of traditional Thanksgiving dishes attached) they can stack on top of their table before it breaks.
Cook the Corn Solar Oven Challenge
In this fun Thanksgiving STEM challenge, students will save Thanksgiving Dinner by designing and building a solar oven to cook canned corn! First, they learn a bit about solar energy and the purpose of solar ovens. Then they are tasked with designing and building their own solar oven. Finally, students test how well their oven works by trying to heat up a dish of corn inside!
What’s included in the Thanksgiving engineering activities?
Each resource includes:
- Detailed teacher notes that include suggestions for facilitating the project during in-person, distance, and hybrid learning
- PDF, Google, and Easel versions of the student project packets
- A slideshow to assist with lesson facilitation
- A rubric for easy grading
- End-of-project celebration certificates
These projects follow the engineering design process allowing students to practice their teamwork and problem-solving skills. The building materials are flexible, meaning you can use what you have on hand! Blocks, clean recyclables, school supplies, etc.
Grab these resources today so you can take a break from planning and know your students will still be learning and having fun as you enjoy the holiday season!
Want more fun seasonal activities?
Save money when you buy seasonal STEM bundles! Then you’ll have fun projects ready-to-go all year long!
