Air Mail Challenge

During Week 2 of After School To-Go, students participated in an activity based on the skills used by Manufacturing Engineers! Have you ever considered what goes into packaging your mail? Students were challenged to create a mailing container that could withstand the trip to the Pacific Ocean and the drop into the water. They took into account the mass and density of the packaging, whether or not it was waterproof, and its ability to protect its contents from breaking. Before thinking about their prototype designs, girls conducted tests to measure all of these important qualities in a foam cup, a plastic cup, and a paper cup.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Girls then got to work building their prototype designs, using cups and other materials such as bubble wrap, cotton balls, packing peanuts, and duct tape. After their initial design was complete, students tested how well it protected a single Pringle chip by dropping the package to the floor from hip-level. Students then made the necessary modifications to their designs.