Engineering Olympics

Engineering Olympics

By: Sarah

During the third quarter, we held the Olympics. Well, kind of. We held the Engineering Olympics.

Teams

There were 4 teams,  one for every class. Team Iwanski, Team Kasprowicz, Team Klink, and Team Shiellack. Also, there were teams of three who were participating in different events in each class.

Events

In the Engineering Olympics, there were seven events. Flight Duration, Helping Hand, Paddle Power, Paper Table, Watercraft, Zip Line, and Zoom Zoom.

In Flight Duration, students had to make a floating design that could not be attached to a permanent structure. Their designs were released from a high point in the Olympics, and whoever’s design stayed in the air longest won gold. The price of the contraption would be the tiebreaker.

Helping Hand was an event where you had to design a contraption that could pick up small objects and place them in a bucket two feet away. The design could have one or two “hands”, and during competition, your real hands could not touch the objects. Each team member had one turn at picking up objects. The winner was the team that picked up the most objects.

In Paddle Power, you had to make a boat that could float in the test pool, and could be propelled across the pool. Any propulsion method could be used. During the competition, the boat could not be touched after it left the starting point, and whoever’s boat went fastest was the winner. In case of a tie, price of the boat was used as a tiebreaker.

In Paper Table, a team of three students had to build a structure that was able to withstand a fan three feet away for ten seconds while holding a tennis ball on top. Also, the tower could not be attached to the ground in any way. To win, your structure has to be the tallest and has to withstand the “windstorm” for over ten seconds.

For Watercraft, you had to make a boat that fit in the test pool & could float - even with washers being placed on it while it was in the water. When the boat hits the bottom during the competition, it is considered sunk and the team’s turn is over. The team whose boat could hold the most weight won.

Zip Line was an event where the students made a carrier that could safely carry an egg down a zip line. The criteria was that the carrier had to be able to be attached to the zip line at the time of competition, and the egg had to be able to be removed at the bottom of the zip line to prove safety. To win, the egg must survive the ride unharmed to be considered for medals. The carrier with the fastest time won, and the total cost was used as a tiebreaker.

In Zoom Zoom, you had to make a car that had four wheels, and was self propelled. During competition, the car could not be touched past the starting line or while it was in motion. The car that went the farthest won gold.

Results

Sorry, but the results were unavailable, but Team Klink did win the most medals, so they got the trophy.

What I Learned

I learned about collaboration and working with other students in the Olympics from my team, and overall the Olympics were a very fun experience that I think all students should have a chance to enjoy.

TEACHER NOTE: If you would like more information about the engineering olympics please visit our Science site. All of the directions for the events can be found in the introductory presentation. https://sites.google.com/a/merton.k12.wi.us/6thgradescience/5---engineering-design/engineering-olympics