Patterson HS

Spring STEM Challenge

2010
June 3, 2010

THE RULES

A. The ROCKET LAUNCHER!

The goal of this event is to design, build, and launch a rocket with the greatest accuracy to hit a target. The
target will be placed for both horizontal distance and vertical height. Teams will be given the following
materials with which to construct their rockets:

2L bottle (1) Launching Apparatus (made from rubber tubing + PVC pipe)
Masking tape Paper (3 sheets)

Scoring – Each team will get four official launches. The target will have areas of 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 points
each, which can be earned by a team’s launch that hits within those areas. A team’s four launch scores will be
added up to determine total score for this event.

B. The NEWSPAPER BRIDGE!

The goal of this event is to construct a bridge to hold the greatest weight (maximum number of dishes filled
with marbles). Teams will use newspaper to design their bridges. The bridge will span a gap of 20” created
between two classroom chairs, and must have a way to place bowls of marbles on top. Each team will be given:

Newspaper (3 sheets) Masking Tape (36”)

Scoring – The bridge that holds the most weight will receive a score of 200 points, second place 190 points, etc.

C. The EGG MOBILE!

The goal of this event is to design and build a housing to safely transport an egg when it’s attached to a car
frame.

Each group will be allotted two (2) test runs for their vehicles, for which a judge must be called over. The
device is to be made from the materials listed below. All devices must be made on site. A team member must
retrieve the egg from the device and present it to a judge for inspection. Each team will have approximately 20
minutes to build their device. The team is responsible for setting up their device and completing the test runs.
A run is successful if the egg survives completely intact with no cracks. Each team will be given:

Cotton balls (10) Balloons (1) Masking Tape (36”)

Paper clips (2) Baggie Index Cards (2 large + 2 small)
Car frame (pre-built)

Scoring – A car that successfully transports and crashes the egg on both runs, without any damage to the egg,
will receive a score of 200 points. A car that transports an egg successfully only on one of the two trials will
receive 150 points. A car whose passenger is broken on both test runs will receive 0 points for this event.
D. WINGING IT!
The goal of this event is to design and build a set of wings to help an airplane fly the furthest. Teams will have
to sand/shape their wings to achieve the best aerodynamic features. The wings, along with tail and rudder, will
then be attached to a fuselage (body) section for flight. A glue gun station will be available for attachment.
Each team will be given:

Styrofoam body section (1) Wings (2) Tail Section (1)

Rudder Section (1) Sand paper Scissors

Scoring – The airplane that flies the furthest will receive 200 points, second place 190 points, etc.

E. SCIENCE MATTERS!
This event is based on your ability to answer science questions. Each team will be given a set of questions and
a Periodic Table of Elements chart to answer the questions.

F. SAILING ALONG!
The goal for this activity is to design and build a boat to sail a 10-foot channel in the fastest time. The boat will
be powered by a fan placed in a fixed position. The teams may shape the Styrofoam boat and/or the sail to best
catch the wind and turn the wind into forward motion.

Each team will be given:

•
• Styrofoam block (1)
• Coffee stirrer (1)
• Sail (a 6”x6” piece of paper)
• Masking Tape (18”)
• Scissors
• Sand paper

Scoring – The team with the fastest sail time will receive a score of 200 points, second place 190 points, etc. If
the boat does not sail all the way across the channel, distance traveled will be used instead of timing to
determine place order.