EC-14 | June 2022
4-H STEM Adventures: Challenge 1-Marble Maze
Youth will build a marble maze that moves a marble from start to finish
GUIDED VS. EXPLORATORY APPROACH
Adult facilitators have the option of choosing either exploratory or guided approaches to each challenge. Both approaches have pros and cons. Choose the approach that best suits the youth with whom you are working.
EXPLORATORY
EXPLORATORY APPROACH
Encourages creativity and deductive reasoning, lacks structure, takes more time, and risks frustration for the youth. Generally best for out-of-school-time settings, large blocks of time, and youth ages 11 to 13.
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MATERIALSPaper plates with high side walls, marble, straws, scissors, tape, and glue. |
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VOCABULARYITERATION: The process of creating multiple versions of a project to make improvements. For this project, you’ll make ITERATIONS to improve your maze design. |
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4-H LIFE SKILLPLANNING: For this project, you can PLAN by thinking of a design and using a pencil to trace the path of the marble. |
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4-H LIFE SKILLRESILIENCE: If the straws do not keep your marble on your plate, you can practice RESILIENCE by making corrections and trying again until it works. |
DO
YOUTH COMPLETE THE ACTIVITY
Watch the Challenge
Design and build a game where players try to move a marble from a start to a finish spot on the paper plate by tilting the plate to direct it around the straw obstacles.
To create the game, plan the path that the marble should take by tracing the path with a pencil. Place drinking straws beside the path. Cut straws, as needed, to fit. Tape or glue the straws to the plate to secure them. When the maze is ready, challenge your family members or friends to move the marble through the maze.
GUIDED
GUIDED APPROACH
Provides structure, promotes good instruction-following habits, increases rate of success, and limits creative solutions. Generally best for classroom settings, finite blocks of time, and youth ages 8 to 10.
DO
YOUTH COMPLETE THE ACTIVITY
Watch the Challenge then follow steps one through five
Build a maze on your paper plate so that when you tilt the plate, the marble will roll from START to END. The materials you can use are: paper plates, straws, marble, pencil, scissors, tape or glue.
STEP 2. IMAGINE SOLUTIONS
Think about all of the possible ways you can make your maze. Consider choosing a pattern, shape, or a geometric design to get started.
STEP 3. PLAN POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
Based on your imagined solutions, PLAN the path for the marble to roll. Draw it on the paper plate with a pencil. Mark the START and END.
STEP 4. CREATE YOUR MAZE
Cut straws to fit on both sides of the path to keep the marble on the path. Tape or glue the straws to the paper plate. Test your maze. Move the marble from the start of your maze to the end by tilting the plate. Can you do it? This is the first ITERATION, or version, of your design.
STEP 5. IMPROVE YOUR DESIGN
Look at your marble maze. Do you need to change anything to make your maze work better? You can go back to Step 1 and identify any problems with your maze.
Start the process again to make the changes for your next ITERATION.
REFLECT
GUIDE YOUTH THROUGH THE REFLECTION PROCESS
See a solution here
- How many ITERATIONS of your game did you make? How was the first version of your maze different from the last version?
- How did PLANNING the path of your marble affect the process of creating your game?
- Did you experience any setbacks while making the maze? How did you show RESILIENCE and overcome the setbacks?
APPLY
CHALLENGE THE YOUTH TO APPLY WHAT THEY’VE LEARNED TO OTHER PARTS OF THEIR LIVES
- What effect did challenging your family or friends to try your maze have on how you felt about it?
- Share an example of another time in your life when PLANNING a project made it easier to complete.
- When else have you had the opportunity to practice resilience?
REFERENCES
- D’Augustino, T. D. (2016, March 16). 4-H family engineering night engages youth in science. Michigan State University. https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/4_h_family_engineering_night_engages_youth_in_science
- Kessler, C. Make a paper plate maze STEM challenge. Raising lifelong learners. https://raisinglifelonglearners.com/make-a-paper-plate-maze-stem-challenge/
Download Challenge 1: Marble Maze Curriculum (PDF)
4-H STEM Adventures: Facilitator Guide
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Challenge 6: Mobile
| JESSICA MELLON jmellon2@umd.edu CHRISTINE ALLRED cmallred@umd.edu Challenge 1: Marble Maze is a supporting document from the 4-H STEM Adventures-Facilitator Guide (EC-14) and is part of a collection produced by the University of Maryland Extension within the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. The information presented has met UME peer-review standards, including internal and external technical review. For help accessing this or any UME publication contact: itaccessibility@umd.edu For more information on this and other topics, visit the University of Maryland Extension website at extension.umd.edu University programs, activities, and facilities are available to all without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, age, national origin, political affiliation, physical or mental disability, religion, protected veteran status, genetic information, personal appearance, or any other legally protected class. |