Think, Make, Solve

Through the term the teachers have been challenging the students to work out different challenges within a group. This week our challenge was to build a structure that would hold a maths book, the equipment that we were able to use were toothpicks and a set amount of blue tack. Me and my group created a plan and searched up some ideas that would hold the book. At first it was pretty tricky but as we went on it got easier. After a while we realised that we needed a few more toothpicks, by the time we had finished the base of our structure, we realised that we didn't have much blue tack left. We thought for a bit, until we started sticking the toothpicks to the blue tack that was already put down. We were done, honestly it didn't look very pretty but they weren't judging it on the look. It was on the strength. So we got a few books and started piling them on top of the structure, it was holding!. It was actually holding! Then we added more and more, it was really surprising to see what this little thing could do. We were up to our 15th one until it started falling. So we just pushed the books down and squished it. This was an interesting experience for me and my group. I had no idea that we could work this well.

Have you ever done something as crazy as this?