(Entrepreneurial Thinking)
This is the material for the Entrepreneurial Thinking Badge. You don’t need a guide for this badge – the volunteer will get you started, supply the necessary materials, and then help with the post-activity discussion.
You will work together to build the tallest tower possible that can hold a marshmallow on top, using only uncooked spaghetti noodles, tape and string. This simple activity gives you some of the experience of being an entrepreneur, and at the end we’ll discuss what this showed about concepts of prototyping, planning, testing, failure, and teamwork.
Once you complete the activity, be sure take the test (online, link below). Each person in your group should complete their own copy of the test, since the test record is used to show you completed the badge. Remember – you can get any help you need as you take the test.
Student Information
Supplied Materials:
- 20 uncooked spaghetti noodles
- 1 yard of masking tape
- 1 yard of string
- 1 regular size marshmallow (not mini)
- 1 Team Observations Card
Tower Rules:
- Towers must be free standing – they cannot be stuck down/taped down or suspended.
- Teams can only use the materials they have been given (20 spaghetti noodles, masking tape, string, and one marshmallow), but they do not have to use all the materials.
- Teams can use the materials in any way they’d like. For example, they can fold, roll or tear the paper into smaller pieces.
- The tower must hold the marshmallow on top and still stay standing. The marshmallow has to stay in one piece.
- The winning team is the one with the tallest tower that holds the marshmallow on top.
- Teams will have a total of 18 minutes for the challenge, including both planning and building the tower.