#NAUSTEMchallenge

The NAU STEM Challenge is a series of STEM challenges designed for 5th grade students though may be used with students from 4th grade to high school. Each STEM Challenge has a teacher Google Slide deck and an engineering journal specific to the challenge. Please feel free to make a copy of the Google Slide decks and print the engineering journals for use with students (print double sided and flipped on the short edge).

Please share pictures of designs and prototypes using #NAUSTEMchallenge on social media.

The NAU STEM Challenge with 5th grade teachers from Harelson Elementary in Amphi USD, Hendricks Elementary in Flowing Wells USD, and Oyama Elementary in Tucson USD is made possible with support from Dr. Nicholas Clement. The NAU STEM Challenge Resources were developed and designed by DaNel Hogan, Anna Heyer, and Sherrie Dennis.

Click on one of the NAU STEM Challenge titles below to jump to the supporting resources. Resources include a Google Slide Deck for Teachers and the STEMAZing Journals for the challenge.

NAU STEM Challenge

NAU STEM Challenge Supply List

Trash to Treasure – Waste Stream Interrupted
Good Night Light (using electric tealight candles, mini flashlights, or paper circuits)
Good Night Light (using wireless electricity modules)
Howling Home – Designing a New Wolf Exhibit
Flying Saucer Cups
Better than Bought Helicopter Prop*

Do your young engineers need help brainstorming modifications to their designs and ideas? Try using the creative brainstorming tool called SCAMPER!

NAU STEM Challenge Resources

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Trash to Treasure – Waste Stream Interrupted

Trash to Treasure – Waste Stream Interrupted (Google Slide Deck for Teachers)

• #STEMAZingPictureBook Inspiration: One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia picture book by Miranda Paul

  • This book is available as an audio book on Epic if you would like your class to listen to it (start a free educator account if you haven’t already): https://www.getepic.com/app/read/69806

NAU STEM Challenge STEMAZing Engineering Journal: Trash to Treasure

When you print this journal, there are two blank pages between pages 6 and 7. If time allows, you can let engineering teams iterate through the engineering design process again by making modifications to their prototypes and/or let them get peer/customer feedback on their designs to make informed modifications.
More Modifications: If you would like engineers to make one or more modifications to their prototypes, you can print this STEM Challenge Modification page for them to fold and insert between pages 6 and 7.
Peer or Customer Feedback: If you would like engineers to get feedback about their design and make a modification based on that feedback, you can print this STEM Challenge Peer or Customer Feedback page for them to fold and insert between pages 6 and 7.

NOTE: Be sure to print the engineering journals DOUBLE-sided and Flipped on the SHORT EDGE. Then, simply fold them and staple along the fold.

Back Home to NAU STEM Challenge List

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“Dark”, “Boba Tea”, and “Eggs and Bacon” Good Night Light designs from Harelson Elementary 5th graders.

Good Night Light
Using electric tealight candles, mini flashlights, or paper circuits as the light source.

Good Night Light – using electric tealight candles, mini flashlights, or paper circuits (Google Slide Deck for Teachers)

• #STEMAZingPictureBook Inspiration: Orion and the Dark picture book by Emma Yarlett

• NOTE: If you have access to wireless electricity modules, use the resources shown in the next STEM challenge below this one.

NAU STEM Challenge STEMAZing Engineering Journal: Good Night Light
NOTE: This version of the journal is for use with electric tea light candles, mini flashlights, or paper circuits as the light source. If you have access to wireless electricity modules, please use the next journal down.

When you print this journal, there are two blank pages between pages 6 and 7. If time allows, you can let engineering teams iterate through the engineering design process again by making modifications to their prototypes and/or let them get peer/customer feedback on their designs to make informed modifications.
More Modifications: If you would like engineers to make one or more modifications to their prototypes, you can print this STEM Challenge Modification page for them to fold and insert between pages 6 and 7.
Peer or Customer Feedback: If you would like engineers to get feedback about their design and make a modification based on that feedback, you can print this STEM Challenge Peer or Customer Feedback page for them to fold and insert between pages 6 and 7.

PRINTING NOTE: Be sure to print the engineering journals DOUBLE-sided and Flipped on the SHORT EDGE. Then, simply fold them and staple along the fold.

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Good Night Light
Using wireless electricity modules as the light source.

Good Night Light – using wireless electricity modules (Google Slide Deck for Teachers)

• #STEMAZingPictureBook Inspiration: Orion and the Dark picture book by Emma Yarlett

• NOTE: We recommend the 12V wireless electricity modules over the 5V because the LEDs are bigger and brighter. If you don’t have access to wireless electricity modules, you can use small flashlights or electric tea-light candles or paper circuits as the light source for night light prototypes. See the resources in the STEM Challenge above if you don’t have wireless electricity modules.

NAU STEM Challenge STEMAZing Engineering Journal: Good Night Light (with wireless electricity modules)
NOTE: This version of the journal is for use with wireless electricity modules. If you don’t have access to wireless electricity modules, please use the journal above.

When you print this journal, there are two blank pages between pages 6 and 7. If time allows, you can let engineering teams iterate through the engineering design process again by making modifications to their prototypes and/or let them get peer/customer feedback on their designs to make informed modifications.
More Modifications: If you would like engineers to make one or more modifications to their prototypes, you can print this STEM Challenge Modification page for them to fold and insert between pages 6 and 7.
Peer or Customer Feedback: If you would like engineers to get feedback about their design and make a modification based on that feedback, you can print this STEM Challenge Peer or Customer Feedback page for them to fold and insert between pages 6 and 7.

PRINTING NOTE: Be sure to print the engineering journals DOUBLE-sided and Flipped on the SHORT EDGE. Then, simply fold them and staple along the fold.

Back Home to NAU STEM Challenge List

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Examples of Howling Home Wolf Exhibit designs from Hendricks Elementary.

Howling Home – Designing a New Wolf Exhibit

Howling Home – Designing a New Wolf Exhibit (Google Slide Deck for Teachers)

• #STEMAZingPictureBook Inspiration: The Wolves Return: A New Beginning for Yellowstone National Park picture book by Celia Godkin and inspired by real wolf exhibit expansion and re-design at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson, Arizona.

  • This book is available on Epic if you don’t have the book or would like to project it for your class (start a free educator account if you don’t have one already): https://www.getepic.com/app/read/64555

NAU STEM Challenge STEMAZing Engineering Journal: Howling Home

PRINTING NOTE: Be sure to print the engineering journals DOUBLE-sided and Flipped on the SHORT EDGE. Then, simply fold them and staple along the fold.

Back Home to NAU STEM Challenge List

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Flying Saucer Cups

Updated January 2023

Flying Saucer Cups (flight distance and flight time version) (Google Slide Deck for Teachers)

• #STEMAZingPictureBook Inspiration: Wood, Wire, Wings: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane by Kirsten W. Larson (author) and Tracy Subisak (illustrator)

  • You can also search on YouTube for a read alive version of this book if you don’t have a copy.

NAU STEM Challenge STEMAZing Engineering Journal: Flying Saucer Cups

PRINTING NOTE: Be sure to print the engineering journals DOUBLE-sided and flipped on the SHORT edge. Then, simply fold them and staple along the fold.

Want to make this journal your own? Click here for the Word version.

Older Version: Flying Saucer Cups with Weighted Performance Score
(Google Slide Deck for Teachers)

STEMAZing Engineering Journal: Flying Saucer Cups with Weighted Performance Score
Flying Saucer Cups STEM Challenge Extra Performance Sheets

PRINTING NOTE: Be sure to print the engineering journals and extra performance sheets DOUBLE-sided and flipped on the SHORT edge. Then, simply fold them and staple along the fold.

Back Home to NAU STEM Challenge List

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Better than Bought Helicopter Prop
(Recommended for 7th grade and up)

Better than Bought Helicopter Prop (Google Slide Deck for Teachers)

• #STEMAZingPictureBook Inspiration: The Girl Who Could Fix Anything: Beatrice Shilling, World War II Engineer by Mara Rockliff (author) and Daniel Duncan (illustrator)

NAU STEM Challenge STEMAZing Engineering Journal: Better than Bought Helicopter Prop

DIFFERENT PRINTING NOTE:  The first two pages (1-2) of this document should be printed DOUBLE-sided and Flipped on the SHORT EDGE on WHITE CARDSTOCK. The other pages (3-6) can be printed DOUBLE-sided and Flipped on the SHORT EDGE on regular white printer paper. Then, simply collate them and then fold and staple along the fold.

Back Home to NAU STEM Challenge List