Figure It Out Yourself

On the first day of class, the instructor handed out spaghetti, string, tape, and marshmallows to the eight students gathered around a table and asked them to build the tallest possible freestanding structure and place the marshmallow on top, in 18 minutes.

Created by the designer and author Tom Wujec to foster teamwork, leadership, and creativity, the “marshmallow challenge” was the perfect tool for Victor Pereira Jr. to start his “Introduction to Teaching Science” course on a summer afternoon.

“Science is about problem-solving and collaboration,” Pereira, a lecturer in education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE), told the students. “Everything you need to know about science instruction is in the marshmallow challenge...."

Read more at the Harvard Gazette.