The Marshmallow Challenge: a great new lesson to add to your library
One of the things I have valued the most as someone in the role of a mentor the past several years, is the amount I learn from the educators I have worked with. This past week was a perfect example of that. While in Mrs. Wilson’s class at Harbour View High School this week I was able to watch and be a part of a lesson where students partook in the Marshmallow Challenge. I watched as students learn many elements of design, collaboration, planning and organization, as well as some innovation and ingenuity. To be honest, it was a great example of students learning through small failures.
As I watched the students worked together, I was caught off guard by their commitment to the task at hand. For 45 minutes straight I saw the class completely engaged and field testing numerous different strategies. All the students were given was 1 marshmallow, 1 yard of tape, 1 yard of string, and 20 sticks of spaghetti. These constraints promote creative thinking, and although some designs fail… what they learn is invaluable.
That being said, what was great was seeing their reactions once they watched the follow up video. I won’t ruin the surprise. After you watch the video below, take a look at the pdf below that includes Tom Wujec’s, the Marshmallow Challenge creators slides.
The Marshmallow Challenge: a great new lesson to add to your library October 19th, 2015chatentrepreneurs
Originally published at chatentrepreneurs.ca on October 19, 2015.
