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What is the Engineering Challenge?

Working in teams, grade 5-7 students design, build, and test an engineering prototype. Teachers may recruit a volunteer engineer to work with student teams and guide them in the design and construction of the prototype. Engineers from all disciplines (for example, mechanical engineer, electrical engineer, civil engineer, etc.) have sufficient background to participate in this activity, and are welcome volunteers.

Learning Objectives

Teachers can integrate the Challenge activity into their classroom curricula to help teach the concepts of Forces Acting on Structures and Mechanisms, Conservation of Energy and Resources, and Form and Function.

Students will:

• plan and design the construction of an engineering prototype,
• apply understanding of the following curriculum concepts: forces acting on structures and mechanisms, conservation of energy and resources, and form and function. STSE: Impact of various factors in designing and building devices to meet specific needs.
• communicate their design plans, explaining their design choices and decisions,
• work collaboratively and effectively in a small group to solve a practical problem.

Teaching Strategies

The Engineering Challenge contributes to a collaborative inquiry classroom culture in the following ways:

• engages groups of students in a hands-on/minds-on, problem-solving activity,
• instills the concept of a team approach to solve an open-ended problem,
• introduces the engineering profession in the classroom.

Activity: Construct an RPZ (Rubberband-powered Zamboni)!

2010 marks the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada. This year, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has decided to include a new demonstration sport in the competition – Zamboni racing.

You have been recruited as one of the engineers working on a team to design and build a new Zamboni for this event. Your Zamboni must be built from recycled materials and must be powered by a rubber band mechanism, a new environmental method of vehicle power. The RPZ must carry a hockey puck as cargo.

You will race your RPZ against other competitors’ designs. The fastest RPZ will be awarded the gold medal.

Design Specifications:

• The cargo – standard hockey puck – must be carried by the RPZ during the test and must be visible from the top.  
• Only the listed materials are allowed. Decorations are permitted and encouraged, as long as they do not interfere with the function of the RPZ.
• The RPZ must fit fully assembled into a standard-size photocopy paper box. An oversized RPZ will be disqualified.

Teams consist of 3 to 5 students with the following responsibilities:

• Designer: With input from the other team members, creates the design and obtains authorization from the teacher or volunteer engineer to proceed with construction. Sketches the team’s design drawing.
• Materials Manager: Collects and keeps a record of all materials used by the team during construction.
• Constructor/Builder: Leads construction of the prototype according to the design drawing plan and includes modifications suggested by team mates.
• Communication Specialist: Spokesperson for the team who presents project to others.

Construction Materials

INCLUDED:

• paper, cardboard, newspaper
• string, yarn, rope, fabric
• glue, play dough, tape
• popsicle sticks, tongue depressors, toothpicks, skewers, chopsticks, dowels
• wooden pencils
• plastics, styrofoam, rubber
• CDs
• spools (wooden, plastic)
• bottle caps (plastic)
• paint, decorations
• straws, rubber bands
• paper clips
• sand and Play-Doh

EXCLUDED:

• glass
• metal (except paper clips)
• mousetraps
• lumber/wood (except popsicle sticks, tongue depressors, toothpicks, skewers, chopsticks, pencils, spools, dowels)
• construction kits (Lego, Meccano, K’nex, etc.)
• batteries
• water

RPZ Testing Criteria:

Once construction is completed, teams gather to test their RPZs against the other teams (Teachers: see “Organizing a Grand Finale” for more details). Test your team’s RPZ and see if you have successfully conquered the Engineering Challenge!

• Test track dimensions: 60 cm wide, 3 m long. The finish line will be 3m from the start line.
• The RPZ must be released at the start line and must move without impulse (may not be pushed)
• The rubberband propulsion system must be contained on-board the RPZ (example: no sling shots)
• The hockey puck cargo must be visible from the top of the RPC. When the hockey puck crosses the line, the time will be calculated.

Challenge Construction Tips:

• Accuracy and repeat performance are key to the success of the mission. Find a way to release your RPZ so that you obtain similar results with each trial.
• Make sure the RPZ is sturdy enough to survive multiple rounds of testing.
• If there are delicate parts on your RPZ, make some “spares” that can be easily fitted in case of damage during the competition.

Judging Criteria:

RPZs will be judged on the time it takes them to travel along the track and cross the finish line, as well as on the ingenuity of the design and construction.

RPZ Speed:

Speed will be judged on a bell curve, with the fastest RPZ garnering full points (75 points). A scoring spreadsheet (.xls format) is available by contacting: education@nrc.gc.ca

Ingenuity:	Points
Innovation: ingenuity in design, uniqueness, imagination	0 -10
Workmanship: quality, attention to detail, overall aesthetics, visual appeal	0 -10
Presentation by Public Relations person and quality of poster	0 -5
Total Ingenuity Score	/25

Example:

Team Name	RPZ Speed	Ingenuity	Total Score
	/ 75 points	/25 points	/ 100 points
RPZ1	75	21	96
RPZ2	58	24	82

Guidelines for Teachers and Engineers are available here.

Assessment grids for this activity are available here.