In our engineering unit, we've learned that engineers need to use creative ideas to build or take things apart. They also need to be great problem solvers who are willing to try things in a new way if they don't work the first time.
In order to put these skills to use, the students built an egg drop box with a few limited supplies. Each group was given a shoe box filled with 1 toilet paper tube, 2 cotton balls, 1 styrofoam cup, 2 paper towels, 2 popsicle sticks, 2 straws, 2 pipe cleaners, and a roll of masking tape.
On day 1, the students created their boxes without the egg. They had to make some assumptions on how the egg would fit into their design. On day 2, the students were given the egg and many groups had to problem solve a new design based on whether or not the egg fit into their original design.
This project also gave the students another chance to collaborate within a partnership or group and practice listening to each other's ideas and working together.
The goal was to keep the egg safe for 3 different heights of dropping. We dropped off a desk, off the landing of the stairs to the new gym, and off the catwalk.
After each drop, groups may have had to redesign if their egg broke from the drop. This was a fun project!
Egg drop construction:
Drop 1: Six out of eight eggs survived!
Drop 2: All eggs survived!
Drop 3: We dropped from the catwalk in the gym. The class couldn't believe that every egg survived!
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