Egg Drop Lesson Plan Mission: Egg Drop
Project ID: ENG-2026-EDC
60 Minutes
Target Audience
Contenders (Ages 11-12)
Primary Objective
Apply engineering principles to protect cargo (egg) from impact forces.
Approach
Iterative Design & Physical Testing
Supplies Checklist
Raw Eggs (1 per group + spares)
Drinking Straws
Masking/Duct Tape
Cardboard Scraps
Bubble Wrap / Cotton Balls
Plastic Trash Bags (Clean-up)
Measuring Tape
Student Worksheets
Key Concepts
Impact Distribution
Spreading the force of landing across a larger surface area.
Cushioning
Increasing the time of impact to decrease the force (Impulse).
Terminal Velocity
Using drag (parachutes) to limit the speed of the fall.
Project Timeline
10m
Introduction & Theory
Briefing the recruits on physics and constraints.
Objective: Design a contraption to protect cargo (egg) from a drop.
Discuss principles: Impact distribution, cushioning, and structural integrity.
Assign teams: Group students into engineering squads of 3-4.
10m
The Design Phase
Blueprints first, construction later.
Teams brainstorm and use the worksheet to sketch their concept.
Constraint check: Only materials from the checklist are allowed.
Label all components (e.g., "The Crumple Zone").
20m
The Building Phase
Turning sketches into reality.
Groups assemble their protection systems.
Teacher Tip: Walk around and ask, "Why did you choose that material for the outer layer?"
Encourage rapid prototyping—test small parts if possible.
10m
Launch & Landing
Moment of truth.
Drop contraptions from a standard height (e.g., stairwell or ladder).
Record Data: Survival (Yes/No) and structural damage.
Clean up any messes immediately using plastic bags.
10m
Post-Mission Debrief
Learning from gravity.
Use the Discussion Guide to analyze successes and failures.
Reflect on real-world applications (car safety, space landings).
Fill out the reflection section of the worksheet.
Engineering Pro-Tips
Management: If an egg breaks early, don't let the group give up! Have them analyze why it failed and quickly brainstorm a "Mk II" version if time allows.
The "No Parachute" Variable: For an extra challenge, forbid the use of plastic bags as parachutes to force students to focus on impact absorption and distribution.
Egg Drop Discussion Guide Mission Debrief
Post-Flight Engineering Analysis
Document Class
Discussion Facilitator Guide
Facilitate this discussion after the testing phase is complete. The goal is to move beyond "it broke" or "it survived" and into the physics of why.
01
What strategies did you use in your design?
Encourage students to share specific elements they focused on during the build.
Look-for Concepts:
Cushioning / Padding
Impact Distribution
Structural Integrity
Air Resistance (Drag)
02
Why do you think some designs were more successful than others?
Guide the discussion towards the mechanics of the impact. Why did some "safe" looking designs still result in a break?
Physics Focus:
Discuss Stability (did it land on its side or its feet?) and Force Transfer (did the energy go into the materials or straight to the egg shell?).
03
What would you do differently if you were to do this challenge again?
Focus on the iterative nature of engineering. Failure is just a data point for the next version.
Teacher Prompt:
"If you could add only one more piece of a single material, which would it be and why?"
04
How can these engineering principles be applied in real life?
Connect the classroom activity to the real world.
Vehicle Safety Crumple zones in cars are designed to smash so that the passengers don't.
Aerospace Landing rovers on Mars (using airbags or parachutes).
Sports Gear Helmets and pads designed to absorb shocks during high-impact sports.
Packaging Shipping fragile electronics across the country.
Proprietary Teacher Resource // Internal Use Only // Case Study: Gravity Protection Systems
Egg Drop Worksheet Student Prototype Design Blueprint
Engineering Record // Unit: Physical Forces
Engineer:
Date:
1. Initial Design Idea (Schematic)
Draw your contraption below. Use arrows to label the materials and specific safety features.
2. Material Inventory
List everything used (and how many).
3. Protection Logic
Explain how your design will prevent the egg from breaking.
Post-Flight Analysis
Outcome Assessment
Egg Survived
Egg Cracked/Broken
Based on the outcome, why do you think this happened? (Consider the landing angle, material failure, or success of cushioning).
Design Optimization (v2.0)
If you had 10 more minutes and 1 more material, what specific change would you make to improve your results?
Ref No: EDC-WORKSHEET-STU FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY Gravity: 9.81 m/s² // Terminal Velocity: Variable
