We’ve come a long way from the annual EGG DROP Challenge, Design and engineering challenges are ubiquitous and for good reason. Students love them, they promote the application of academic skills and concepts, they connect to things happening in the world, and they introduce students to the roles of engineers, logisticians, research and development teams, and business analysts.
If your job includes providing schoolwide enrichment, you need design challenges that are simpler and require less prep.
Here is a simple design challenge suitable for all ages (3rd grade and up). It can be done in 25-30 minutes with an entire class and preparation and clean-up are easy. However, you can also extend this into an investigation of the field of logistics which is very much in the news these days (i.e. supply chains). HERE are some great resources for students.
MATERIALS NEEDED: (per pair of students)
- one 12 oz. foam cup
- one 3 oz. plastic cup
- two strips of foil (approx.6 x 12 in.),
- a plastic straw
- 5 one-inch pom poms
NOTES:
If you place the materials above in gallon-sized baggies, you can quickly distribute them to pairs of students and, when time’s up, they return the cups and pom poms to the baggy and throw away the foil and straw. Two strips of foil are provided so that more than one test can be conducted (the foil is usually only good for one test).
I think the slide deck and slide notes are all you need to present the challenge. Students will have time to test at least two ideas, and I recommend allowing time for students to share their ideas. Then you can show the final slides to make connections to actual logistical systems. Click on the slide below to make a copy or preview the challenge HERE.
Science Buddies is one source of other simple design challenges. Currently, they are sponsoring an Engineering Design Challenge for K-12 students that may interest your students. The video below explains the challenge and the rules, and you can read more HERE.
There are many other sources, some listed on the STEM/ PROJECTS pages, but if you have created and tested your own, send me a MESSAGE to share about it.
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