3rd Annual Middle School Egg Drop Challenge

Over the last several years, STEAM has been at the forefront of education trying to help students at all levels in bettering their skills in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math.  As the Central Lyon Pre-K-12 STEAM Coach, I try to guide students to use and improve their critical thinking skills, so they learn how to create and explain why different events happen.  Careers of today are changing rapidly.  Some of the top jobs today and in the future require a different skill set than careers we have now and in the past . In my opinion today, schools have an obligation to their students to provide opportunities which will help allow them to grow into a job/career which bests fits them.  An event, like the Middle School Egg Drop Challenge, provides such an opportunity for students.  These young students are our future learners, leaders, educators, and innovators of the future.  

 3rd Annual EGG Drop Challenge   Competition Sheet  (doc)

Each student or student group had to meet the requirements within the competition sheet.  The goal was to safely carry an egg dropped from the roof of the elementary school to earn a 6'' inch Subway sandwich.  The students were allowed to use 7 different materials to design and build their 'pod'.  Once a group had their 'pod' built and Mr. Pytleski okayed it, each group had to prove their 'pod' could safely carry an egg from 1 meter.  Each successful drop required the groups to drop their 'pod' from increased heights.  We had multiple 5th and 6th grade groups make in the 2nd to the last height of 7.5 meters.  Of the 12 'pods' dropped off of the elementary school by Mr. Pytleski, one 5th grade group and one 6th grade group's 'pod' successfully piloted an egg from 10+meters to the playground cement below!  Each of these groups accomplished the goal an earned a 6" inch Subway sandwich for their efforts.   Up next after Thanksgiving Break, the Middle School will have an opportunity to build a 'MacGyver' wind turine which will be require to lift steel washers.  More to come later on this challenge ...