Second graders in Leslie Davis’ STEAM classes at Connetquot Elementary School recently designed and engineered structures to test their strength and stability. They began by learning about why and how Lego bricks were developed. They then built tall structures and then strong structures that could hold a hardcover book, using only paper index cards. They learned that the shape and size of a fold matters when it comes to stability and strength. The second graders then moved on to different materials such as gummy bears and toothpicks to see if they could duplicate the same ideas they had used for paper building. Through the engineering and design process, the students learned that different materials require different designs. Finally, the students competed in a design challenge to see who could build the tallest snowman that could stand on its own using only different sized marshmallows and toothpicks.