We Don’t Eat Our Classmates Activity
Looking for a fun way to build your classroom community while introducing STEM?
This We Don’t Eat Our Classmates cup-stacking challenge helps students practice teamwork, communication, and problem-solving during the back to school season. You can grab this activity in Carly and Adam’s store or as a FREE Download for STEM Teachers Club Members! Grab the Book here.
Read and Discuss
Begin by reading We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins. Discuss what Penelope learns about kindness, friendship, and treating others with respect.
Create a “Good Classmate” anchor chart with three sections:
A good classmate is…
A good classmate does…
A good classmate says…
Encourage students to suggest words and phrases they can use during the challenge, such as “Can I help?”, “Nice work!”, and “Let’s try your idea.”
Cup-Stacking Challenge
Place students in small teams and give each group plastic cups and a cup tower task card. Students must work together to recreate the tower while practicing the behaviors listed on the anchor chart.
To make the activity more challenging, add a teamwork constraint. Students might have to:
Use only one hand or finger.
Build with craft sticks or pencils.
Build without talking.
Let only one teammate see the tower card.
Complete the tower in 30 seconds.
These challenges encourage students to communicate, share responsibilities, and adjust their plans.
Reflect and Improve
Remind students that STEM success does not always mean completing the tower on the first attempt. Testing, making mistakes, and improving a design are all part of the Engineering Design Process.
Afterward, ask students to share:
What helped their team succeed?
How did they handle disagreements or mistakes?
How were they a good classmate?
What would they change next time?
This simple read-aloud STEM challenge is an engaging way to introduce engineering while helping students develop the teamwork skills they will use all year long.
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