Science · Design and technology · Maths

Paper tower challenge: plan, build and improve

Work as a house team to design a free-standing paper tower, test it, improve it and compare results. The brief sets a materials limit, a 20-minute build, a ten-second stability test and a height measure, with roles and a results table.

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Measure a tower from table to top. This small source diagram shows the measuring idea, not a pupil result.

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Page 1

NAME
HOUSE
DATE
LEARNING GOAL
Plan, build and test a strong structure, then use
results to improve it.
SUCCESS CRITERIA
I can plan a tower and label my ideas.
I can measure and record height in cm.
I can explain what makes a tower strong.
R1 MATERIALS
20 sheets of A4 paper and 1 m of
masking tape. Nothing else goes in
the tower.
R2 TIME
20 minutes to build the tallest free-
standing tower you can.
R3 STAND ALONE
It stands on its own, with no hands
touching it, for 10 seconds.
MEASURING
table to top
(in cm)
R4 HEIGHT
Measured in cm from the table to
the highest point of the tower.
R5 NOT ALLOWED
No taping or fixing the tower to the
table, the walls or anything else.
R6 SAFETY
Use scissors with care. Keep the
area clear. Never stand on chairs or
tables.
JOB 1
Builder
Leads the build and makes strong
joins.
NAME
JOB 2
Materials manager
Hands out paper and tape. Keeps
the tally.
NAME
JOB 3
Timekeeper
Calls out the time every 5
minutes.
NAME
JOB 4
Measurer
Measures the height in cm and
records it.
NAME
Tick a box for each sheet you use.
Shade a box for each 10 cm of tape.
Sketch it from the front. Label tubes, triangles and joins.
House science challenge and STEM activity sheet
STAGE Plan
SCALE Not to scale
Sheet 1 of 3
SCIENCE AND STEM
AGES 9 TO 13
HOUSE CHALLENGE
Paper tower challenge
Plan, build and test a free-standing tower with your house team.
1
The challenge and the rules
BRIEF
2
Team roles
one job each
3
Materials tally
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
4
Plan your tower
5 min
VIEW A: FRONT (5 MM GRID)
OUR TARGET HEIGHT
cm

Page 2

TEST
HEIGHT
STOOD 10 S?
WHAT HAPPENED? WHAT WILL WE CHANGE?
Trial test
during the build
cm
Yes
/
No
Judged test
at 20 minutes
cm
Yes
/
No
CHANGE IN HEIGHT
B −A =
cm
GO FURTHER: HEIGHT PER SHEET
B ÷ sheets used =
cm
HOUSE
HEIGHT
STOOD 10 S?
RANK
POINTS
A
ASH
cm
Yes
/
No
B
BIRCH
cm
Yes
/
No
O
OAK
cm
Yes
/
No
R
ROWAN
cm
Yes
/
No
Points: 1st = 4, 2nd = 3, 3rd = 2, 4th = 1. A tower that does not stand for 10 seconds scores 0.
1
ROLLED TUBES
A rolled sheet is much stiffer than a flat one.
2
TRIANGLES
A square can lean over. A triangle keeps its
shape.
3
WIDE BASE
A wide base makes a tower harder to tip
over.
Which idea helped the tallest tower most? Explain how, using your
results.
House science challenge and STEM activity sheet
STAGE Test
SCALE Not to scale
Sheet 2 of 3
SCIENCE AND STEM
AGES 9 TO 13
TEST AND IMPROVE
Test it, improve it, record it
5
Test, improve and retest
TEST LOG
A
B
6
House results
judged test
7
What made the strongest towers?
3 marks

The pupil task

What this helps you do

Read the materials, time, stability, height, equipment and safety rules before sketching a design.

Learning objective

Plan and build a stable tower, measure its height, use test results to make an improvement and explain what supported stability.

When to use it

Use as a supervised design challenge with a clear, stable work surface and agreed access to materials. Review the rules, space, tools and measurement method before starting, and keep the height test low-risk and adult-managed. Use this combined PDF with pupils and the adult facilitator. It carries the challenge, planning and test-recording tasks alongside guidance for running the activity.

What’s included

A paper tower brief combines material, time, stability, height and safety constraints. Team roles, a sketch grid and trial records support improvement, while height change and material efficiency calculations help pupils compare their tests.

A teaching sequence

Plan and build a stable tower, measure its height, use test results to make an improvement and explain what supported stability.

Assign roles and sketch the tower

Assign builder, materials manager, timekeeper and measurer. Plan a tower using up to 20 A4 sheets and one metre of tape; sketch and label the design.

Are the planned materials within twenty sheets and one metre of tape?

Build within the rules

Build for 20 minutes. Keep the area clear, use scissors carefully, and do not stand on furniture or attach the tower to a surface.

Can the tower be built with a clear area and no climbing or fixed support?

Measure a tower from table to top. This small source diagram shows the measuring idea, not a pupil result.

Read the complete material

Measure and retest one change

Measure from table to highest point and test whether it stands hands-free for ten seconds. Change one feature and retest.

Does it stand hands-free for ten seconds before height is recorded?

Explain recorded differences

Record each judged result, height change and height per sheet, then compare houses. Use the test record to explain what changed after altering one design feature.

Which single design change is supported by the test record?

Before you teach

Look for the thinking behind an answer, choose the support your class needs and leave room for an independent response.

What to look for

Check that teams use only the allowed materials, measure from the same reference point and apply the ten-second rule consistently. A tower that falls does not meet the stated stability condition. Review the improvement explanation against the team’s recorded results rather than the tallest tower alone.

Give a little support

Show how to roll or fold paper and make a stable base with a small demonstration. Offer accessible roles such as planner, recorder or timekeeper. Provide adult help with measuring and scissors as needed, and keep teams focused on testing one change at a time.

Take the idea further

Compare height per sheet with total height and discuss the trade-off between material use and stability. Ask teams to test rolled tubes, triangles or base width separately and state what evidence supports their explanation.

Things to keep in mind

This is a classroom engineering challenge, not a certified structural test. Use a stable surface, supervise tools and prevent climbing or overhead hazards. Results depend on paper, tape, joins and build conditions; do not generalise from one trial.

Keep the idea. Make it yours.

Bring your topic, learning goal and class context to PLAI™, then review what you create.

Make one for my class

Ideas for using this resource

Sample teaching perspectives on what to try, what to adapt and what to watch for.

🤔

One More Question

The tower challenge fixes materials at 20 A4 sheets and one metre of tape, gives 20 build minutes and defines a ten-second free-standing test. It also prohibits fixing the tower to furniture and specifies height measurement from table to top.

📎

Paperclip Perspective

For ages 9 to 13, the team roles divide building, materials, time and measuring, while the plan sketch asks pupils to label tubes, triangles and joins. Testing and improving the design make the activity more than a tallest-tower race.

🖊️

Kindly Red Pen

The materials tally and tape scale can help teams track constraints as they build. A named measurer records the height, while a timekeeper gives five-minute updates so the group can revisit its design before the test.

😐

Calm Table

Use scissors carefully, keep the area clear and never stand on furniture, as the sheet states. The challenge’s scoring depends on a fair ten-second test and the exact materials limit; do not reward unsafe height attempts.