The Newton Country Day School Class of 2016 embarked on the first of several engineering challenges – the NCDS Car Egg-stravaganza. The eighth graders for this annual event designed, built, and tested transports with propulsion devices that would carry an uncooked egg a distance of at least four meters.
Faculty in the Science Department describe the challenge: “The engineering project is an inquiry-based, hands-on activity that allows students to discover concepts related to their physical science curriculum, specifically Motion and Force. Students apply the concepts to construct a real-life solution to the engineering challenge. Working in small groups, the eighth graders are provided with a restricted set of materials to use to build a mode of transport for an uncooked egg. The goal is to have the completed vehicle successfully travel within a two meter lane to reach a distance of as close to 8 meters as possible. The vehicle should travel the distance in the shortest amount of time without cracking the egg.”
The rubrics of the challenge were tweaked this year. An element of propulsion other than the force of gravity was added. Neither electrical propulsion nor a participant act of pushing was allowed. Balloons, weighted elastic bands, and bungee cords were forces of choice. Some teams combined forces to initiate motion. To add to the challenge, the egg could not be protected by any packaging except the egg holder. Scoring for the November 3rd timed trials was based on the creative use of materials, the starting and stopping mechanism, a calculated formula that took the best running time added to the distance from the 8-meter mark in centimeters, and whether or not the egg survived the trip. A few eggs did not!
That evening, parents were treated to a Car Egg-stravaganza exhibition. Each team presented a powerpoint presentation and an explanation of the mathematical components of its car’s design. Teams then competed against each other in head races to showcase their creativity and engineering skills. The evening closed with an awards presentation for the top-performing and the most creative transports.
This first entry into the world of successful engineering projects prepares the eighth graders for their next group “challenges” and for their Science Fair engineering project. The annual Science Fair will be held March 7, 2012.