Super easy STEM Challenge... all you need is colored card stock (regular paper will work also, but it will hold less books), tape, and books! Create a circular/cylinder, triangular/triangular prism, and square/cuboid column. Have students predict which shape column will hold the most and why. Have students discuss or debate which shape is best and why. Ask them to consider real world applications of columns. What shape columns do they see holding up a bridge or a building? Students could even research real world application use of columns. Primary grades could take a class survey on which shape they think will hold the most. This would also be great to incorporate into a shapes math lesson for 3-D shapes.
Any the winner was? The cylinder. It held sixteen books. The square held twelve books and the triangular one held eight books.