Students are told a recent hurricane has collapsed a bridge, which was the only way off an island. The island's inhabitants are running out of resources quickly. An engineering team has concluded that the best and safest option is to transport people off the island. The water's current is currently too strong, thus making it an unsafe means of transportation. The only means of transportation remaining is the island's famous zip line, which includes a section leading from the island to a neighboring city.

The students' challenge is to design and build a cradle that will safely transport one islander at a time across the zip line from the island to the neighboring city.

  • STEM career connections: Transportation, Distribution, Logistics, Human Services, Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering
  • STEM disciplines: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
  • Non-STEM disciplines: English Language Arts

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Submissions from 2017

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Lesson 2: Lesson Plan, Margie Pinnell, Shannon Driskell, and Mary-Kate Sableski

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Lesson 2: Parent Letters, Margie Pinnell, Shannon Driskell, and Mary-Kate Sableski

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Lesson 2: Presentation, Margie Pinnell, Shannon Driskell, and Mary-Kate Sableski

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Lesson 2: Student Handout, Margie Pinnell, Shannon Driskell, and Mary-Kate Sableski

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STEM Challenge Handout: Engineering Design Process, Margie Pinnell, Shannon Driskell, and Mary-Kate Sableski

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STEM Facilitator Resources, Margie Pinnell, Shannon Driskell, and Mary-Kate Sableski

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STEM: Make a Connection, Margie Pinnell, Shannon Driskell, and Mary-Kate Sableski

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STEM Vocabulary Worksheet, Margie Pinnell, Shannon Driskell, and Mary-Kate Sableski