Thanksgiving STEM Activity: Harvest Silo Grain Elevator (THX05) | Middle School Physical Science (Grades 6-8)

? THANKSGIVING STEM ACTIVITY: HARVEST SILO GRAIN ELEVATOR CHALLENGE (THX05)

3-Page STEM Activity | Print-Ready PDF Format

Hoist into mechanical advantage, simple machines, and mechanical energy efficiency! The Harvest Silo Grain Elevator Challenge (THX05) challenges middle school student teams to act as agricultural mechanics engineers, designing a pulley-hoist system attached to a cardboard harvest silo to raise maximum corn payload up 25 cm into a storage bin.

Students explore simple machines, mechanical advantage, pulley axle rotation, tension force, friction reduction, and work metrics (Work = Mass x Distance)!

? WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THIS 3-PAGE PACKET?

• ? Page 1: Teacher Guide & Lesson Plan: NGSS alignment (MS-PS3-5, MS-ETS1-2), target science concepts, setup guide, expected student outcomes, answer keys, and math troubleshooting tips.

• ? Page 2: Student Mission Card & Blueprint: Real-world agricultural equipment engineering scenario hook. Clear material limits box (silo tube, straws/axles, spool, string, cup, corn kernels). Dedicated Silo Tower & Pulley Hoist Schematic sketching zone.

• ? Page 3: Testing Log & Scientific Reflection: Structured Data Testing Table (pulley modifications, lifted corn kernels, hoist smoothness across 3 trials). Applied Math Connection (calculate total mass-distance work metrics in gram-meters). Physics reflection questions.

? CORE STEM SKILLS COVERED:

• Mechanical Engineering, Simple Machines & Pulley Mechanics

• Tension Force Distribution, Friction Reduction & Mechanical Advantage

• Data Logging, Payload Mass Metrics (g), Distance (m), and Work Calculations

• Iterative Design and Hoist Balance Optimization

? WHY TEACHERS LOVE THIS RESOURCE:

• 3-Page Professional Layout: Includes a complete Teacher Guide for seamless lesson prep, keeping student blueprint worksheets clean and ready to print!

• Low-Cost Materials: Uses cardboard tubes, plastic straws, thread spools, string, Dixie cups, and dried corn kernels or beans.

• High-Impact November Science Lab: Turns mechanical physics and simple machine theory into a fun, hands-on harvest engineering test!

• Format: High-resolution, print-ready PDF format (3 Pages).

Target Grades: 6th, 7th, 8th / Middle School

Subject Area: Physical Science, Physics, Forces and Motion, Simple Machines, Thanksgiving STEM Labs

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