The Dot Candy Builder STEM Activity
The Dot Candy Builder STEM Activity
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Celebrate creativity with The Dot by Peter Reynolds Candy Builder STEM Challenge!
This hands-on The Dot Book Activity invites students to use Dots candy and toothpicks to build as many different structures as possible.
Pair it with The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds for a meaningful Dot Day activity that encourages teamwork, problem-solving, and a growth mindset.
Students plan their ideas, collaborate with classmates, and reuse their materials to explore different designs. After building, teams select a favorite structure to rebuild and improve. Along the way, students discover that small ideas can lead to exciting creations—and that trying again is part of engineering!
What’s Included:
- Teacher instructions and suggested materials
- Student challenge letter
- Planning worksheet
- Design and reflection worksheet with space to compare original and improved designs
- Engineering design process posters and guiding questions
- Teacher reference example
- Link to Canva lesson slides
- NGSS and TEKS connections
Materials List:
- Dots candy
- toothpicks
- The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds
Use this activity for International Dot Day, elementary STEM lessons, makerspace learning, or a classroom growth mindset lesson. Give students a chance to explore many possibilities and see where their creativity takes them!