https://nifa.usda.gov/ 

program/4-h-positiveyouth-development 

National Institute 

of Food 

and Agriculture 

United States 

Department of 

Agriculture 

lesson plan: teamwork activity 2.9 

introduction 

Rocket PoweR cHallenge I 

A FederAl PArtnershiP For stem educAtion 

expeditionary

skIlls

for life 

National Aeronautics 

and Space 

Administration 

 

 

lesson details 

age/grade level 

Middle School 

learner outcomes 

Youth will identify ways to effectively 

communicate with members of a 

team, recognize there are many 

different solutions to solving 

problems, and define teamwork. 

success indicators 

Youth will encourage each other in 

team activities, be able to accomplish a task with limited resources, 

and demonstrate cooperation. 

life skills 

Critical thinking and innovation, 

collaboration, social skills.

national standards 

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.1 

Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and 

collaborations with diverse partners, 

building on others’ ideas and 

expressing their own clearly 

and persuasively. 

21st Century Learning and Innovation Skills: Learning and innovation 

skills increasingly are being recognized as the skills that separate 

students who are prepared for 

increasingly complex life and work 

environments in the 21st century, 

and those who are not. A focus on 

creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration is essential 

to prepare students for the future. 

prep time

15 minutes for room set up 

activity time 

60 minutes 

materials list 

• 1 lb. dry spaghetti

• 10 oz. small marshmallows

• 20 oz. gum drops

• yard stick or tape measure

• countdown clock or other timing

device

More supplies may be needed

depending upon the size of the group

Handouts 

Learner Assessment Questions

suggested space 

Indoors, one table or other flat 


surface for each team
 

suggested group size 

4 youth per team, any number of 

teams can be involved. 

references 

Engineering Design Process 

http://www.eie.org/overview/
 

engineering-design-process
 

Building Your Programs 20 Minutes 


at a Time — Leadership and Reflection Activities You Can Use ! 


www.extension.umn.edu/youth/ 

research/quality/docs/buildingyour-programs-book-one.pdf 

4-H Engineering Project

http://4h.ucanr.edu/files/183847.

pdf

NASA Teamwork 

https://science.nasa.gov/sciencenews/science-at-nasa/2005/10jan_ 

teammeup 

the engineering design process is a 

series of steps that engineers follow 

to come up with a solution to a 

problem. Many times the solution involves 

designing a product (like a rocket) that 

meets certain criteria and/or accomplishes 

a certain task. 

Engineering is a planned and repeated approach 

to addressing a need by designing, building, and 

testing tools, processes, and systems. 

The five steps of the engineering process are: 

ASK: What is the problem? How have others 

approached it? What are your constraints? 

IMAGINE: What are some solutions? Brainstorm ideas. Choose the best one. 

PLAN: Draw a diagram. Make lists of materials 

you will need. 

CREATE: Follow your plan and create something. 

Test it out! 

IMPROVE: What works? What doesn’t? What 

could work better? Modify your design to make 

it better. Test it out! 

continued next page >> 
page 2

lesson plan: activity 2.9 

Rocket PoweR cHallenge I, contInued 

expeditionary

skIlls

for life 

>> continued from previous page

activity instructions 

introduction activity (10 minutes) 

Ask and discuss with youth: 

1. Why do people work on teams?

2. What makes a good team member? What are some

examples of how people work together on teams?

3. What is NASA? Do you know what the people do at

NASA? What does teamwork have to do with NASA?

4. What is engineering? Introduce the steps of the

Engineering Cycle:

• Ask

• Imagine

• Plan

• Create

• Improve

activty part 1: no assigned roles 

(10 minutes) 

Explain to the youth they will work on a team to 

complete an engineering challenge. 

1. Assign youth into teams of 4 with each team at their

own table or other level surface.

2. Hand out supplies. Give each team 12 pieces of

spaghetti, 10 marshmallows and 10 gumdrops. Tell the

youth not to touch or eat the supplies.

3. Tell the youth they will have to work together and build

a model of a rocket. The goal is to make the rocket as

tall as possible, and it has to stand on its own. When

they’re done building, it should not tip over.

4. Have the youth briefly discuss and make a plan for

what their rocket may look like and how they might

use the limited supplies they have. No other supplies

may be used.

5. Tell the youth they have 7 minutes to work on their

rocket. They can only use non-verbal communication

(no talking). Each time someone uses verbal

communication, their team loses one item from their

building supplies.

6. Allow the teams 7 minutes to build their rockets.

Display a countdown clock if possible

activity part 2: no assigned roles 

(10 minutes) 

1. Within their teams, allow each team member 15 seconds to share. Have each member answer one of the

following questions:

What is going well?

What is not working?

What could we do better?

Are we working as a team? Why or why not?

2. Ask the group: What are the challenges of working

together non-verbally? How would verbal communication be helpful in this situation?

3. Allow each team a chance to move about the room

as a group for 1 minute to view the other teams’

projects to get ideas. Have them discuss what is

working and what is not working for the other teams’

designs and how they might incorporate these ideas

into their plan/model.

4. Give the teams 1 minute for continuation planning.

Allow them to choose any three additional building

materials of their choice. They can have three of the

same item if they choose.

5. Give teams 5 minutes to finish their rocket model.

Remind them to use their plan and what they have

learned so far about how their team has been functioning.

6. When time is up, have the youth step away from

their table and have each team showcase their final

model design. Use the yardstick to measure the final

rocket model height. Use class applause to celebrate

all of the teams’ efforts!

7. If time allows, have each team give a 20 second

showcase report of what worked well and/or what

did not in the building of their rocket model.

continued next page >> 
page 3

lesson plan: activity 2.9 

Rocket PoweR cHallenge I, contInued 

expeditionary

skIlls

for life 

>> continued from previous page

discussion Questions (10 minutes) 

1. What was challenging about working as a team?

2. Can you identify different ways in which you communicated with your team members to complete the

task?

3. Did you follow the engineering process steps? If yes,

how did that help guide your process? If no, why not?

Would it have helped?

4. Why is it necessary for engineers at NASA to apply

teamwork principles in their work?

5. Would your group have worked better together if you

each had a specific job (role) in building the rocket

model? Why? W ould this have helped you be more

efficient?

debrief activity: wHat’s my reflection 

Question? (5 minutes) 

materials list 

Reflection question notecards (see questions below). 

1. Hand each youth a card face down so they cannot see 

the question.

2. Ask them to hold their card up to their forehead with

the question visible to all but themselves.

3. Instruct youth to move around to individuals answering the question the other person is holding. Remind

them not to read the question out loud.

4. Each youth should hear answers from a minimum of 3

people before guessing what their reflection question

is. After most or all have discovered their reflection

question, ask a few to share the responses they

received and how those answers helped them determine what their question was. 

Sample Reflection Questions 

• What are some ways you like to lear?

• What have you learned about making decisions?

• How did others help you?

• Why was this an important/useful thing to do?

• What surprised you about this activity?

• What was most challenging?

apply cHallenge: Human knot 

(10 minutes) 

1. Divide the group into teams of 6 to 10 youth. Have

each team stand in a tight circle.

2. Ask the youth to reach their right hand into the middle

of the circle and grasp the hand of someone that is not

directly next to them.

3. Then tell the youth to reach their left hand into the

middle of the circle and grasp the hand of someone

else that is not directly next to them.

4. After they are all holding hands, ask the teams to try

to untangle the knot (while still holding hands).

SAFETY NOTE 

Teams should be closely monitored to ensure that the 

untangling process is done safely. Remind youth not to 

pull anyone over and to be careful not to accidently step 

on or kick anyone. 

Discuss: 

1. Can anyone share a feeling they had during the activity

(i.e. happy because it was fun, frustrated because you

could not get untangled, mad because people would

not listen, proud because you were able to untangle

the knot, etc.)?

2. How did this activity require teamwork? What could

your team have done better?

3. How can you use teamwork during your daily lives at

school, at home, in extra-curricular activities, etc.?

fun facts 

• There is no set number of people in an astronaut

candidate class; NASA selects candidates on an

as-needed basis.

• Lonnie Johnson, the man who invented the Super

Soaker was a NASA engineeer. He also helped develop

the Stealth Bomber.

did you know

NASA will send you a text message whenever the International Space Station (ISS) passes over your location.

https://spotthestation.nasa.gov/signup.cfm
activity 2.9: learner assessment 

These questions are about things you learned during this 

activity. Please check the circle that best describes you. 

Q1 

Q2 

Q3 

I know how to express myself in different ways. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

I can explain the steps in the engineering process. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

If my team wants to accomplish a goal, we can find many 

different solutions. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

activity 2.9: learner assessment 

These questions are about things you learned during this 

activity. Please check the circle that best describes you. 

Q1 

Q2 

Q3 

I know how to express myself in different ways. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

I can explain the steps in the engineering process. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

If my team wants to accomplish a goal, we can find many 

different solutions. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

activity 2.9: learner assessment 

hese questions are about things you learned during thi

ctivity. Please check the circle that best describes you. 

T s 

a

Q1 

Q2 

Q3 

I know how to express myself in different ways. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

I can explain the steps in the engineering process. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

If my team wants to accomplish a goal, we can find many 

different solutions. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

activity 2.9: learner assessment 

1 I know how to express myself in different ways. 

These questions are about things you learned during this 

activity. Please check the circle that best describes you. 

 

 

expeditionary

skIlls


for life

expeditionary

skIlls


for life 

expeditionary

skIlls


for life

expeditionary

skIlls


for life 

Q

Q2
 

Q3
 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

I can explain the steps in the engineering process. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

If my team wants to accomplish a goal, we can find many 

different solutions. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me