Academies at Gerrard Berman Day School’s Egg Drop

Wednesday, June 15, 2016; 2:00 pm

Projects are due to Mrs. Kelly no later than Tuesday, June 14th
Your name should be written on it with a permanent marker:
Where it can be seen.

Dear Students,

We are very excited about our culminating science activity, GBDS EGG DROP!  We ask all children in grades 3-8 to participate and to approach this project from a scientific perspective: This is optional for students in grades 1 and 2,

You must identify your goal (an egg must survive a drop from the school roof without breaking). You must decide on a method (some sort of “packaging”).
You must decide on a procedure (how to create the “packaging”). You must gather materials and build.
You will test your result; Mrs. Kelly will drop the egg contraption from the school roof. Your conclusion will be done when the judge opens the packaging.

This is real scientific thinking, and it happens to be great FUN!

Objective: You are to design and build a contraption to protect an egg that will be dropped from the school roof. Your contraption must be the lightest possible weight yet durable enough to protect the egg, so it will not break upon landing. Think of the egg as a passenger in a car going through a crash test. This is an individual project to be constructed at home.

Turn over for the rules about the packaging. Have a great time, and good luck!

Mrs. Robin Kelly
Science Teacher

General Rules

You must pack ONLY a raw store bought chicken eggs, size medium or larger may be used.

You may NOT soak the egg in vinegar or give it any other treatment.

You cannot use commercially made packaging materials such as blister wrap or packing beads.

No “jello” or foam is allowed.

You may not use parachutes or balloons.

You may bring in your project prior to the due date for me to check if it qualifies. If it does not qualify you may take it home and make necessary alterations. If you wait until the last minute and your project is overweight, it will be disqualified.

Once the project is in school it may not be touched by anyone other than the owner. Please have your name written on it with a permanent marker, and put it in a plastic bag.

Once the project has hit the ground it will be your responsibility to retrieve your contraption and show it to the judge for scoring.

After the judge inspect the egg, the judge will verify that the egg has not been altered by breaking it in the garbage can.

Third and Fourth Grade Rules (see also General Rules)

Your packages cannot measure more than 12 inches wide, long or deep and you cannot use a box that is commercially made.

weigh less than 650 grams (the average egg weighs 50 grams).

Fifth Grade Rules (see also General Rules)

Your Package cannot measure more than 11 inches wide, long or deep.

weigh less than 550 grams (the average egg weighs 50 grams).

Middle School Rules (see also General Rules)

  1. Of course, the egg and its contraption must hit the ground! The egg will be dropped from the school roof.
  2. The egg and the project must weigh less than 250 grams (the average egg weighs 50 grams).
  3. Your egg project must fit on an 8.5 x 11 size sheet of paper.  (Note: that it may be a 12 inches high and still fit on the paper.)
  4. You may not use Nerf Balls, pillows, textile stuffing or stuffed animals to protect your egg.
  5. Hand in a written explanation on why you used the material and design of your contraption.

Scoring: Meeting the guidelines for each grade plus the following:

Egg survived the fall intact Egg is cracked, but intact Egg is broken
Project is not done or disqualified.
Plus 1-5 points will be granted on the mass of the contraption. Lightest to heaviest