Sixth Graders’ Achievement Is No Yolk

You might call it an egg-stravaganza--and for the participants, downright egg-citing.

Sixth-graders at Mitchell Elementary School on Tuesday put a science lesson in motion by dropping raw eggs from a two-story roof. The challenge: to design a container no bigger than 12 inches on a side that would allow the egg to land unharmed.

Of the 49 eggs dropped by Principal Pam Bunker--bedecked in a chicken suit for the occasion--and science teacher Loretta Kenney, 27 landed intact.

Using everything from socks to shredded newspaper and cushion stuffing, the 11- and 12-year-olds devised a remarkable assortment of housings and parachutes to shield their eggs from harm.

Heidi Cipriani, 12, had one of the most unusual entries--a contraption using plastic cups, springs, rubber weights, a homemade egg cradle and a parachute. The odd-looking holder worked, earning Cipriani’s egg a place among the unbroken.

More common were plastic foam holders, padded shoe boxes and plastic grocery bags turned into parachutes.

Some entries resembled hand grenades, while others looked more like wrapped gifts. Some hit the ground with a thud, while others floated into the so-called “danger zone” with grace.

Tram Do, 12, protected her egg with a homemade pouch of old denim stuffed with foam. A gigantic parachute she fashioned from plastic caught the wind and carried the egg into a nearby fence rather than allowing it to hit the ground. No matter. The egg was unharmed.

“The bigger the parachute, the slower it will go--and it worked,” the young engineer said with a smile as she pulled her intact egg from its wrappings.

Among the successful designs were those that fell just a bit too fast and landed too hard. Designers left with plastic bags full of broken eggs talked about what they could have done differently.

Principal Bunker, still dressed in her chicken suit, declared the project a complete success because all of the participants learned basic concepts, then applied them to a problem.

As for the chicken suit, she said, “I’ll do whatever it takes to motivate them and get them interested.”