Maryland Creative Problem Solvers Instant Challenge Library

Millennium Housing

This is a hybrid (verbal/hands-on) challenge.

The Challenge:

You must design and build a structure in which people will live in the year 3000. You must include an explanation of why each of the features will be important in the year 3000.

Situation:

You are the chief engineer for your firm that has been invited to bid on designing the housing units to be used in the year 3000.

Time:

You will have 6 minutes to design and build the structure and 2 minutes to present the structure and explain it to the judges.

Materials:

10 spaghetti

10 "ziti" (pasta)

6 straws

2 rubber bands

2 sheets notebook paper

1 12" piece of string

5 paper clips

3 cotton balls

1 12" piece of wax paper

2 index cards

1 paper cup

1 paper plate

4 mailing labels

1 12" piece of aluminum foil

Directions:

You will have 6 minutes to design and build the structure and 2 minutes to present and explain it to the judges.

Scoring:

25 points for overall quality of the structure
20 points for the creativity of the layout (including design)
15 points for creative use of materials
20 points for presentation to judges
20 points for demonstration to judges
20 points for teamwork