An Eggciting Egg Drop Project

I've always wanted to do an Egg Drop project with a class, but had never done one.

This year has been a trying year for a lot of reasons.

These two things together meant I'm willing to try anything to keep them engaged. Like the desks. Like the cardboard arcade. So we did an Egg Drop. The class was about to crack otherwise. I was feeling hardboiled.

I made it very simple and made it a home project (link goes to the Doc the students got). That was my biggest concern. This class isn't as responsible as I'd like. They are, in fact, probably the least responsible group I've had in nine years of teaching. No yolk. Maybe this would help with that. So I went into it a little more pessimistic than I should have. I fully expected on the due date to have a bunch, at least five, "Uhh, I forgot." I scaffolded, I supported, I gave plenty of time (two and a half weeks), but you never know. I was walking on eggshells.

I'm happy to be wrong wrong wrong. My expectations were scrambled. Every single kid brought it something, 85% of the somethings looked like some-to-much time was spent on them. A few were down right eggcellent. And nearly everyone brought in the page about the project they were supposed to write.

At the end of the day Friday we tested our projects. My initial direction was that the egg needed to survive a fall of only three feet. Most projects easily surpassed that. It's possible I'm ending up on the roof Monday afternoon for Big Tests. I'm not sure my admin will be feeling sunny side up about it. We'll see.

As you'll see, my lack of specific direction resulted in some pretty creative contraptions, including three that changed the floor rather than protected the egg. Hey, I didn't say you couldn't do that. Thinking outside the carton was encouraged. It was fun to see what plans they hatched.

Here are some of the more creative projects.

This is basically a cup made of paper and electrical tape, filled with peanut butter.
Shove the egg in, fits snug.
Totally worked. Really impressive.

Pieces of sponge taped together

Three piece project- this is the bag and outer shell

Outer shell opened to reveal an inner shell (all made out of tape and newspaper)

Inner shell opened to be stuffed with cotton balls molded in an egg shape.
I think this one will survive a roof fall.

I like this one because it's creative and pretty.
Popsicle sticks cross-hatched with cotton balls as cushions.
You can't tell, but it has flex so it absorbs the impact.

Angry bird. Because of course.
Stuffed with cotton and paper.

Crazy creative. Drop the egg through the tube which delivers it
right to a cushioned landing.
The bottom piece comes off for easy egg retrieval. 

And now for a few that resulted in what scientists might call, "A learning opportunity result"

A student recorded the video, which is why sometimes the framing isn't ideal. Still, he did a good job. And I cut it into six pieces because that seemed easier than making you (and the parents who watch it) watch one 34 minute video.

Omelet you watch for yourself how clever my kids are.

Art visited too. (Context- I taught his daughter in Hawaii. She wrote the forward to my first book.
 It's eggcelent to see him)