1. Cantatech Extended Thinkers
Task 3
Spaghetti, Marshmallow, Potato
Structure
Ellesmere College

3. Trial
and
Error

4. Making our Structure
We made our structure in 4 parts.
Part 1 – Making the Base
Part 2 – Making the Top
Part 3 – Connecting the Top and Base
Part 4 - Reinforcing

5. Part 1 - MAKING THE BASE
1. Place 4 marshmallows 10cm apart to make a
square.
1. Join the marshmallows with ½ lengths of
spaghetti.
1. Place a marshmallow in the middle and join it
diagonally with ½ lengths of spaghetti.

6. Part 1 - MAKING THE BASE
4. Use 4 full lengths of spaghetti and poke them into
each marshmallow extending upwards.
5. Join the tall pieces with a marshmallow at the top.

7. Part 1 - MAKING THE BASE
6. Repeat steps 1-4 to make another 3 towers.
7. Join together to make a square. Connect
together.
8. Connect the middle marshmallows together and
also the top pieces.
9. Criss-cross the top and bottom
marshmallows diagonally.

8. Part 2 - MAKING THE TOP
1. Follow steps 1 and 2 as per base.
2. Use 4 full lengths of spaghetti and poke them
into each marshmallow extending upwards.
3. Join the tall pieces with a marshmallow.

9. Part 2 - MAKING THE TOP
4. Push down the top marshmallow so it is a third
down.
5. Attach a ½ marshmallow onto each length of
spaghetti.

10. Part 2 - MAKING THE TOP
6. Break one length of spaghetti into quarters.
7. Use each piece to attach the marshmallow at the
spaghetti ends.
8. Repeat steps 6-7, but snap full lengths into halves.
9. Make another square and attach to the square
underneath. This builds the potato platform.
10.Reinforce the middle parts by criss-crossing

11. Part 3 – CONNECTING TOP and BASE
1. Snap one length of spaghetti into eighths.
2. Put them into the top marshmallows on the base.
3. Place the top into these stalks connecting the top
and base together.

12. Part 4 – REINFORCING
1. Place the potato onto the top platform to test the
strength of the structure.
2. If not strong enough reinforce where weaknesses
show.
3. If starting to lean build a triangular structure to
the side to stabilise.
4. Keep putting the potato onto the platform
to check.
1. GOOD LUCK

13. Our Potato Holding Structure…

14. The NEW Challenge
How far will
the potato
roll off a ramp?

15. Our Prototype…
Oops it collapsed just as the photo was taken!!

16. Task 3 Team Members –
Ellesmere College
•Kambel Ratapu
•Abby Birkett
•Leah Hill Thanks
•Thomas Wright we had
•Caleb Moffatt FUN!
•Gunther Burnett-Christensen