National Engineers Month

	Activities by Grade	K - 2		5 - 8
		3 - 4		9 - 12

Paper Tower

What's the tallest tower you can build with just 2 sheets of newspaper?

What you need:

• 2 sheets of newspaper
• ruler

Directions:

1. Build the tallest tower you can.  You can bend, tear, crumple, or roll the newspaper.
2. Try to make the tower taller.  Keep redesigning it until you can't go any higher.
3. Use the ruler to measure the height of your tower.  It must stand for at least 30 seconds without falling over.

More:

How can you make your tower even taller?  What happens if you add 20 cm (about 8 in.) of tape?  What happens if you use books as a foundation to support the bottom of the structure?  Or, what happens if you use a different type of paper, like tissue paper, copier paper, or cardboard?  Choose one thing to change (that’s the variable), and make a prediction.  Then test it!

Engineering Scoop:

How can you make a weak material like newspaper strong enough to stand up?  One way is to change its shape, like rolling it into a tube, crumpling it, or pleating it with folds.  You also need to think about the different forces that are acting on it.  The tower's weight it pulling the tower down.  The surface on which the tower is resting is pushing back up.  Small air movements are also pushing from the side an can blow the tower over.  If you build a wide base at the bottom, this distributes the weight over a wider area and makes the tower more stable.

© 2001 WGBH Educational Foundation