Mr. Beimers needs help getting eggs down safely from the school roof where seagulls have nested. Students are challenged to design and build an invention to safely deliver an egg from the roof to the ground for the Egg Drop Challenge. The invention must not use any pre-made containers and can only use cardboard from 3 boxes. It will be dropped from the roof by a judge and evaluated based on how easily the egg can be placed and retrieved, the design's creativity and uniqueness, the overall finished product, and whether the egg survives the drop.

1. GRADE 7
Egg Drop Challenge
2012-2013

2. “Help deliver our eggs safely to the
ground!” A flock of seagulls has gotten
stuck on the roof of the school. They
have nested and their eggs are rotting.
Mr. Beimers is afraid that the decaying
mess will attract the fine young
animals.

3. Mr. Beimers cannot carry all the
eggs down because he needs his
open arms for the journey down
the ladder. He is asking you to
lighten his yoke, by creating an
invention that allows your egg to
straighten up and fly right.

4. The cure is to get them down before
the police show up and count every
egg we break.

5. This invention needs to be ready
for Thursday, January 26, 2012.
You have just short of two weeks
to design, create and decorate
your invention!

6. The challenge:
To create an invention that will safely
deliver an egg from the roof to the
ground, the container will be dropped off
the roof by an impartial judge
This year’s theme . . .

7. Comics & Cartoons

8. RULES

9. You may not use any kind of
manufactured box, tube, container,
carton, or pre-made structure (such as a
cereal box, poster tube, toy, or egg
carton)! You may use the cardboard
from at least three different boxes to
build your own!

10. You may not use Styrofoam, Styrofoam
packing peanuts, intact rubber bands
(broken ones are okay), pre-made
pillows or cushions, or sponges.

11. Parachutes and balloons on the outside
of your contraption are not permitted.

12. However, you can attach other
things to the sides/top/bottom of
your animalistic creation to slow its
descent. Anything that creates drag
or produces friction with the air is
good.

13. The overall dimensions of the egg dropper
should not be larger than 27,000 cubic
centimetres. (30x30x30 cm). We realize
with animalistic creations that shapes will
all be different, but we don’t want tiny
egg droppers, nor do we want huge ones.

14. This will be an at-home project. You will
not be given class-time to complete it.
You may work on it alone or with your
family members.

16. Evaluation
Function
Ease of entry (should not take more than
one minute to place or rescue the egg).
5 points

17. Innovation
Is your design unique?
Have you tried to be creative and defy
gravity?
20 points

18. Finished Product
Is your contraption finished with an eye
to detail, and worthy of the trophy case?
20 points

19. Practicality
Does the egg splat, crack or survive?
5 points