Students in Stephanie Russo and Elissa Prisco’s fifth-grade class at Duffield Elementary School recently engaged in a holiday-oriented STEM activity. After reading one of their weekly vocabulary stories, the students constructed their very own gingerbread houses based on their reading.

Throughout the activity, they worked collaboratively to generate ideas before working independently to construct plans for the structures. Using their problem-solving skills, the students then tested and revised their plans as needed to improve the structure’s stability.