E is for EGG - The Great Egg Drop!

THE GREAT EGG DROP! 

In our Big Book this week Gwen the swamp hen had to protect her eggs. So we thought we would see if we could protect an egg too.

Science and Technology Challenge

OUR AIM: To design and build a system that will protect an egg from a 1 metre drop. Eggs that smash or crack fail the test while eggs that survive without a scratch pass!

Getting started: We need to create something that can absorb the energy the egg gathers as it accelerates towards the ground. A hard surface will crack the egg so we have to think carefully about how you can protect it. Something that will cushion the egg at the end of its fall is a good place to start, we want the egg to decelerate slowly so it doesn't crack or smash all over the ground. 

*Click on the photos to make them bigger

PLANNING AND CREATING

We drew a plan and then created. We had all sorts of materials to choose from. Some of us worked in groups and some of us chose to work on our own.

PRESENTING OUR SYSTEMS

We used our plans to help us explain our construction.

1, 2, 3 DROP!

This was our first attempt. Some systems worked and others didn't. Those that did not were not a fail. We took them as a learning opportunity to help us redesign to know what didn't work and what did.

MODIFY!

We shared why we thought our first attempts did not work. 

• Noah and James said the tin inside their box was able to move around too much. Also that the tin was made of metal which they said made it too heavy (increasing the speed). They chose light materials in their next design and restricted the egg's movement.
• Josh's parachute idea was a good one. It did slow the egg down and it did not crack as much as some others. He decided what he was missing was cushioning and a barrier between the concrete and the egg.
• Kody's egg was cushioned inside the egg carton but he decided he needed to slow his egg down. He thought of using things that can fill with air to help.
• Samantha and Sefina realised that the egg needed to be cushioned the whole way around and that it needed a lid to stop it falling out of the cup so they chose a plastic container which had one and placed the egg in the middle.

SECOND ATTEMPT FOR SOME 1,2,3 DROP!

 

SUCCESS!!! The modifications worked 😃

FOR THOSE THAT SURVIVED 1 METRE IT WAS TIME TO TAKE IT HIGHER!!!!!!!!

Look at how high the balcony from the High School is! It is definitely more than 1 metre! Here is the view looking straight down. WOAH.

1,2,3 DROP!

Some eggs lived to see another day and some others were better off as scrambled eggs for tea. I wonder, using what you have learnt how could you modify your design further? A BIG well done to all!