The purpose of the Egg Drop is so students get practical experience with scientific concepts such as gravity, density, kinetic and potential energy, inertia, velocity, technological design, critical thinking, and problem solving.
Not to mention, it’s fun! In addition to building their projects, students love to see the eggs dropped from such great heights. It is just as much fun to see the projects crash and break as it is to see them survive.
This is the 16th year Triumph Academy has partnered with the Frenchtown Fire Department to make the event a reality. Maria Eby, fifth-grade teacher at Triumph, shared that this tradition was started in 2005 by a former teacher and she has led it since she was hired in 2006. “What I love most about this project is that the kids get so excited!” said Eby. “Many even start planning immediately. I love to see their creativity and problem-solving skills. It is truly something that students look forward to when they get to fifth grade. I also enjoy going up in the bucket, especially to the 100 ft. level.”
For the project, students complete a scientific method sheet which asks them to explain their materials, procedure, hypothesis, an if/then statement, data, results, etc. They also draw a picture of their project.
The project aligns with three fifth-grade education standards:
- 3-5-ETS1-1: Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.
- 3-5-ETS1-2: Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
- 3-5-ETS1-3: Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.
“It is important to engage students in fun activities that teach scientific concepts because some students see science as difficult or just things that happen in a laboratory,” said Eby. “Making science fun and teaching them that it is all around us increases the chance that they will begin to see it in their daily experiences. We also tend to remember things that are tied to our emotions. If they are excited about a science lesson, or any lesson, they are more likely to remember what they learned.”
Triumph school leaders are supportive of this project, and every now and then a dean or principal enjoys going up in the bucket to drop the projects. It’s exciting for students to see their teachers and administrators actively participating in the event.
Egg-cellent work Triumph students and staff!