Boxes made of notched wooden sticks, balloons, rubber bands, string, Styrofoam, cardboard, transparent tape and paper towels, or any combination thereof, just might protect an egg, if it’s built correctly.
So, what is the correct way to build a box that will hold an egg that will be dropped from a balcony to find out if the egg will hold up or crack and splatter?
Seventh-grade students in Gateway To Technology (GTT) at Hazelwood Central Middle School spent a morning researching the answer during an activity called the Egg Drop. The activity is part of a Design and Modeling unit in the GTT curriculum that teaches the 12-step design process.
Clinton Hankins, GTT instructor, said the lesson teaches students how to use the 12-step process “to solve problems” and helps them “achieve an optimal solution to the problem presented.”
“The design process encourages them to consider many possible solutions to problems, and that through teamwork, different solutions can be found,” said Hankins.
“Through the unit, students are introduced to the idea that there are many design processes and that no single design process is better or more useful.”
Working in teams, the students built the boxes, and then carefully tucked an egg inside of it before going into the hall to drop the box from the second-floor balcony to the main floor lobby. The lobby floor was covered in plastic, anchored by heavy cones, to keep the area as clean as possible.
One student served as a monitor. As each box landed, he checked to find out if the egg survived before moving the box to the side. One by one, a team member stood at the rail gripping a box with arms extended, waiting to release it. The reactions to hearing the smacks and splats of boxes and eggs hitting the linoleum floor ranged from excited shouts to curious hmmms.
After the first round of experiments, the teams were given 20 minutes to modify their designs before trying it again. Students scurried about the room while Hankins called off the time.
As they worked against the clock, statements such as “I got this,” “I’m afraid it’s gonna break,” “You put too much in there,” and “Where’s the tape?” echoed through the room.
“We don’t have time for that,” a panicked voice said.
A few steps away, a boy laughed and said to a friend, “The first egg was scrambled.”
GTT is a component of Project Lead The Way®, a non-profit organization that promotes pre-engineering courses for middle and high school students. PLTW forms partnerships with public schools, higher education institutions and the private sector to increase the quantity and quality of engineers and engineering technologists graduating from the country’s educational system.
GTT is project-based and is designed to challenge and engage “the natural curiosity and imagination” of middle school students.
Ashleigh Wilson and Lantz Kyles shared their views on the egg drop project.
“I like it because we can be really creative and use different designs. And we can learn about things for the future,” said Kyles.
“You can create your design. There are no rules to keep your egg protected,” said Wilson.
Wilson and Kyles seem to enjoy GTT.
“You learn lots of information about engineering and design, like how to get to where you want to go for the future,” Kyles said.
“I’m learning that there’s more to technology than computers. There is a lot of engineering, too,” Wilson said.
Kyles said the class teaches teamwork and how to communicate with each other to finish a project. “It gives you a sense of achievement.”
Wilson likes working on group projects because it allows for the “point of view of other people.”
As for the egg drop, both of their teams’ eggs made it through the first drop. Kyles’ egg made it through the second drop, too. The box included wheels, foam and “wood at the bottom for support.” The egg was wrapped in paper towels and rubber bands and the box was “stuffed with paper towels,” he said.
The Hazelwood School District implemented the PLTW pre-engineering program in 2003-2004. Since then, enrollment in the programs has steadily increased. This summer, Hazelwood Central, Hazelwood East, Hazelwood North, Hazelwood Northwest and Hazelwood Southeast middle schools were commended for their leadership and growth of their GTT programs and earned national recognition. Each school received a banner. Hazelwood West Middle School received the honor in 2010.
PLTW and GTT programs exemplify the HSD values of implementing innovative solutions while dismantling ideas that are no longer working for students, and creating an inclusive learning climate that meets the needs of a diverse community.