Lesson Idea | Egg Drop

This lesson, Egg Drop, is a 90-minute engineering challenge for grades 3-12 where students design protective devices to prevent an egg from breaking when dropped from a height. Younger students are given a wide range of materials to “purchase” with a set budget, while older students face stricter material limits to emphasize decision-making and the engineering design process. Throughout the activity, students apply concepts from physics, materials science, and fluid dynamics as they brainstorm, build, and test their designs. Extensions include timing the drops to calculate average speed, analyzing deformation of devices, and comparing the effectiveness of different materials. The project highlights real-world applications such as parachute design and air-drop systems for emergency aid, while encouraging teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving.

Standards

• 4-PS3-3. Ask questions and predict outcomes about the changes in energy that occur when objects collide.
• 6.MS-ETS2-2(MA). Given a design task, select appropriate materials based on specific properties needed in the construction of a solution