https://nifa.usda.gov/ 

program/4-h-positiveyouth-development 

National Institute 

of Food 

and Agriculture 

United States 

Department of 

Agriculture 

lesson plan: teamwork activity 2.10 

introduction 

Rocket PoweR cHallenge II 

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, describe the steps used to 

solve engineering challenges and 

define teamwork. 

success indicators 

Youth will demonstrate patience, 

respect, and appreciation for team 

members, respect team member 

roles and responsibilities, assign 

tasks, and understand workload. 

life skills 

Critical thinking and innovation, 

collaboration, responsibility, 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 

50 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 

Doing It Together 

www.uaex.edu/publications/
 

pdf/4HCD1.pdf
 

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 

5 Ways Youth Can Be Good Team 


Members
 

http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/
 

five_ways_youth_can_be_good_
 

team_members
 

NASA Teamwork 

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

teammeup 

teamwork is a group of individuals 

who use the strengths of each team 

member to work cooperatively 

towards a shared goal. 

Teamwork is a way of working together which 

cares for each person as the tasks are being 

accomplished. The teamwork process has two 

basic components: belonging and accomplishing. 

• Belonging: Each person must feel welcome and 

important to the team.

• Accomplishing: Each person must have the 

opportunity to contribute to the work of the

team.

Belonging is the beginning of motivation for

teamwork and the source of commitment to

accomplish the necessary tasks. Team building

begins with the open and supportive relationships among team members.

Team members share the tasks which enable

them to carry out their plans. A team builds on

the strengths of each of its members. Teamwork

does not make fewer tasks, it redistributes tasks

so that all who belong may be equally involved.

Communication is the lifeblood of the team.

Communication begins with caring and continues with listening, with being sure that the

concerns of each person are heard. Communication is transmitted through clear verbal and nonverbal messages and adequate well timed

information. Communication is verified through

feedback (by checking to be sure that what was

heard was the message which was originally

intended). Communication must occur for a

team to achieve its goals. 

continued next page >> 
page 2

lesson plan: activity 2.10 

Rocket PoweR cHallenge II, contInued 

expeditionary

skIlls

for life 

>> continued from previous page

activity instructions 

introduction activity (10 minutes) 

Ask and discuss with youth: 

1. Review: Why do people work on teams? What is the

purpose of a team? What makes a good/bad team

member?

2. Explain what a “role” is. Give examples. What do roles

have to do with teamwork?

3. Do the people who work at NASA have “roles” in their

work? Why?

activty part 1: team roles (15 minutes) 

Explain that the youth will work on a team to complete an 

engineering challenge.

The roles will be: 

•Team Leader - Gives team instructions, does not build

•Builder 1 - Builds rocket model, listens to leader

•Builder 2 - Builds rocket model, listens to leader

•Supply Manager/Timekeeper - prepares supplies, updates

team on time, assists building when asked by Team Leader

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. Review the team roles. Explain that each team member

will get to spend about 3 minutes in each of the roles

and then rotate clockwise to the next role labeled on

the table.

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

a model of a rocket.

5. The goal is to make an improved rocket from their

Challenge I Lesson that is freestanding and as tall as

possible.

6. Have the youth briefly discuss a plan for what their 

rocket may look like and how to use the supplies. The 

Team Leader leads this and asks for help from the

team.

7. Every 3 minutes, have the students move clockwise to

change roles. Have role name badges at the spots on

the tables for easy role switching.

8. Allow the teams to begin to build. Remind them of the

12 minute timeline. Display a countdown clock for the

Timekeepers to watch. As time ticks down, do not

remind the youth of the amount of time remaining; let

the Timekeeper for each group keep track.

9. Approximately half way through, call for a temporary

pause. Allow 30 seconds for team leaders only to

survey the other teams’ building projects to gather

ideas that might assist their team with their own

construction. Allow teams to continue and finish up

after this break.

10. Once time runs out, have teams stop and back away

from their tables/models.

11. Allow each Team Leader to showcase their final model

design. Use the yardstick to measure final rocket model 

height. Use class applause to celebrate all of t he

teams’ efforts! 

discussion Questions (10 minutes) 

Allow each Team Member to answer one of the following 

questions. Youth share these within their groups. Allow for 

30 second responses and ask the youth to be specific: 

1. What went well in your role?

2. What did not go well in your role?

3. Did your group work as a team? Why or why not?

4. Did each member of your team follow their given 

role? Why did this or didn’t this work? 

continued next page >> 
page 3

lesson plan: activity 2.10 

Rocket PoweR cHallenge II, contInued 

expeditionary

skIlls

for life 

>> continued from previous page

debrief activity: puzzle pieces—you are 

an important piece of tHe bigger picture (10 minutes) 

materials list 

• Puzzle pieces that can connect with others easily

• Pens, markers, or pencils

Puzzle pieces that you can draw on are a wonderful tool 

for individuals, small groups and large groups. Invite 

participants to draw or write on their piece; use a reflection question that meets your needs (i.e. a goal you have 

for the group, a strength you bring, feeling about how the 

project has gone, etc.). Complete a brief large group 

discussion using the age appropriate questions below. 

Have participants put the puzzle together as they share 

their reflection with the larger group. Participants can work 

individually, as a pair, or in a small group. Ask members: 

What is your part of the puzzle? What do you contribute 

to the team? Then fit the pieces together like a real jigsaw 

puzzle. Save and mount the puzzle if the group will come 

together again in the future. 

1. How could your team have been more effective in the

building process? How do roles affect this?

2. How did the Engineering Cycle help your team? If you

did not use it, how could it have helped?

3. Is strong communication important to a team? Why or

why not?

4. How did the results of your rocket differ from the first

trial? How did the assigning of roles affect this?

Discuss the importance of roles in the activity and how it 

relates to the importance of roles in the working world 

and family life.

apply cHallenge: teamwork skits/comic 

strips (15 minutes) 

Tell the youth they will be assigned to a team to create a 

skit or develop a comic strip to present to the large group.

The skit or comic strip should reflect a situation that 

requires teamwork. The skit or comic strip should include 

a role for each member of their team. Their skit or comic 

strip should include at least 

one negative teamwork strategy. 

1. Assign teams (either by choice or another method).

2. Allow teams to prepare and practice.

3. Have each team present.

4. After each team presents, the large group will

comment on the negative teamwork strategy. The

team will then explain how they would fix the

scenario with a positive teamwork strategy.

Discussion: Tell the youth they have 1 minute to call out as 

many positive teamwork strategies as they can. Count 

them up and suggest they try one they have never tried 

before the next time they are in a team situation. 

fun facts 

There are a number of past and current astronauts and 

NASA employees who were 4-H members. In addition to 

Peggy Whitson, who was a 4-H member in Iowa, others 

include Allan Shephard (New Hampshire 4-H), the first 

American in space, and Charles Bolden (South Carolina 

4-H), former astronaut and Administrator of NASA.

did you know 

The International Space Station is a joint effort between 

Canada, Japan, the Russian Federation, the United States, 

and the 22 Member States of the European Space 

Agency. As of November 2016, 226 individuals from 18 

countries have visited the International Space Station. 

instructor’s notes 
activity 2.10: learner assessment 

These questions are about things you learned during this 

activity. Please check the circle that best describes you. 

Q1 

Q2 

Q3 

I can identify three different ways to communicate with 

someone. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

 I can find more than one way to solve a problem. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

I know how to work as part of a team. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

activity 2.10: learner assessment 

These questions are about things you learned during this 

activity. Please check the circle that best describes you. 

Q1 

Q2 

Q3 

I can identify three different ways to communicate with 

someone. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

I can find more than one way to solve a problem. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me

 I know how to work as part of a team. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

activity 2.10: learner assessment 

These questions are about things you learned during this 

activity. Please check the circle that best describes you. 

Q1 

Q2 

Q3 

I can identify three different ways to communicate with 

someone. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

I can find more than one way to solve a problem. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

I know how to work as part of a team. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

activity 2.10: learner assessment 

These questions are about things you learned during this 

activity. Please check the circle that best describes you. 

 

 

expeditionary

skIlls


expeditionary

for life

skIlls


for life 

expeditionary

skIlls


for lifefor life

expeditionary

skIlls


Q1I can identify three different ways to communicate with 

someone. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 


 

 

I can find more than one way to solve a problem. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me


 I know how to work as part of a team. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

Q2

Q3