Moon Solar Tower Challenge: STEM At Home Activity
Originally Posted: October 21, 2020
Updated: May 2024
STEM Space At Home is a video series led by an engineer using materials you can find at home. The videos are intended to support elementary and middle school students through fun engineering design challenges with a real-world connection. Find all episodes here.
How to participate:
Download the student handouts found in our Free Explorer Lesson Library. The file can be printed or used with Google Slides.
Watch the video posted below for science content, engineering design tips, and an in-depth explanation by a real engineer!
Post your design using #𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗠𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲 and TAG US on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! We will share our favorites!
STEM Space At-Home is brought to you by Vivify STEM and Communities In Schools of San Antonio through the NASA program “New Worlds Await You” led by the WEX Foundation.
Download the activity guide found in our Free Explorer Lesson Library. The file can be printed or used with Google Slides.
Moon Solar Tower STEM Challenge
Mission: Design and build a solar-powered tower on the Moon!
Materials needed: Watch the video for suggested materials. For this challenge, we recommend limiting the supplies to force students to problem solve in how to best use materials for the tower.
Tape
Scissors
Ruler
3, 5 oz cups
3 sheets of paper
1 paper plate
7 bendy straws
Solar Panel (2V output) or Coin Cell battery
Notes on materials:
The Pitsco Solar Panel (2V) will only light-up LED lights that are rated for 2V. In the linked product, only the red, yellow, green, and orange lights will work with the solar panel. All lights will work with a 3V coin cell battery.
Solar panels need to be placed in direct sunlight to power the LED light. If your windows are double-paned or have any coating that will block the sunlight, you will need to open the window or place them outside.
A coin cell battery can be used instead of the solar panel. Make sure the positive end of the LED connects to the positive end of the battery. This makes the challenge easier so we recommend increasing the tower height constraint.
Before starting the video, download the activity guide found in our free resource library
Check out the video of middle school student submissions of the Moon Tower STEM challenge! Students are part of the Space Club program - open to any middle school site. Click here to join including training and curriculum.
Additional Resources:
Need a more in-depth STEM activity guide? This challenge is part of Vivify’s Mission to Moon STEM curriculum where students complete a 10 unit lesson revolving around a journey to the Moon.
Find the middle school Mission to Moon version in our resource library.
Chile Solar Car STEM Challenge: Explore the largest solar power plant in the world located in Chile and make a solar car navigate the mountains and ocean surrounding the solar power plant using the engineering design process. Students also learn about the STEM careers of electrical engineering and heliophysics to bring in real-world STEM connections.
Solar Oven STEM Challenge: This engaging STEM challenge is a fun way to learn about pioneering women in history and incorporate the engineering design process into your classroom or afterschool program! Students use the engineering design process and ways to harness the sun's energy by constructing a solar oven to heat s'mores! This challenge also highlights Maria Telkes, the inventor of the first system to heat a home with solar power.
Moon and Solar Energy videos:
Will we ever live on the Moon? (3 min)
What if we covered the Moon in solar panels? (3:30 min)
NASA's New Space Reactor Is Powered by Nuclear Fission (7 min)
Good luck engineers! We can’t wait to see your rover design! Don’t forget to post your design using #𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗠𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲 and tag us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter!
Vivify STEM, LLC. participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
