Engineering Minds Transform Trash Into Solutions

Junkyard Challenge, a new middle school elective at Independent Day School-Corbett Campus, requires students to think critically and creatively as they collaborate to solve an engineering problem.

Jan. 3, 2012 (TAMPA, Fla.) -- When does seemingly ordinary "junk" – paper cups, straws, plastic foam bowls, rubber bands, and string – become something other than seemingly ordinary junk?

The answer is when middle schoolers at Independent Day School-Corbett Campus get their hands on it. Then junk is transformed into marvels of classroom engineering – towers, ramps, bridges and cantilevers, each representing the answer to a real-world engineering problem.

The engineering elective offered at the middle school-level is an opportunity for students to apply engineering principals to real-world problems.

Dubbed the "Junkyard Challenge," the engineering elective develops students' critical thinking skills and ingenuity. It reinforces fundamental engineering concepts, while teaching students about the importance of collaboration, communication, and time management under pressure.

At the beginning of each class, the teachers describe the challenge: a structure that needs to be built within specific parameters to complete a pre-defined task. Working in pairs, students then grab a "mystery box." When the teachers announce, "Begin!" the clock starts ticking. Students open their boxes to reveal the odd assortment of materials, which science and engineering teachers Maria Cardona and Alvin De Guzman have carefully selected and strategically arranged exactly the same in each box. Using only the materials provided, students set to work to quickly engineer the structure within a limited timeframe.

In one class, for example, students had 18 minutes to create a free-standing, elevated ramp that could transport golf balls from a starting point down to a collection container. The ramp needed to be elevated the entire distance, and it could not touch or be connected to the collection container.

"The Junkyard Challenge gives students the opportunity to apply engineering principals to solve a real-world problem," said Mrs. Cardona, an accomplished engineer turned teacher. "They have to think about design and plan their structure, and then they have to develop it, test it, and improve it, all while staying calm under the pressure of limited time."

For their first challenge, students designed and engineered a free-standing tower that supported a cup and a ball for at least five seconds. "They were able to take some of the lessons they learned during that experience, such as how to reinforce a foundation by folding paper, and apply them to the next challenge in building the ramp," said Mr. De Guzman.

Working in teams, students learned that communication and collaboration are as important to success as understanding the basic laws of physics.

Mrs. Cardona and Mr. De Guzman say the class aims to help students understand the skills needed to become future engineers, but they also hope it sparks student interest in forming a Science Olympiad team at IDS-CC. Considered to be one of the premier science competitions in the nation, the Science Olympiad emphasizes science, technology, engineering and math excellence. Teams at the elementary, middle school, and high school levels participate in local, regional and national competitions that consist of a wide variety of events, including the Junkyard Challenge.

According to the teachers, students learn that while 20th century engineering has become highly technical in nature, it is always a team effort. That means communication and collaboration, along with effective time management, and creativity, are as important to success as understanding basic laws of physics.

"It's hands-on problem solving," said Mr. De Guzman. "We teach the students by coaching them as they are building their structures. That immediate application helps them more fully retain what they learn."

For sixth-grader Anthony Nelson, stabilizing the ramp was the hardest aspect of the competition, while seventh-grade student Max Cordell found deciding what materials to use to be most challenging. Sixth-grader Tyler Peterson said coming up with an idea in just a few minutes was tough, but agreed that it's good practice for a future engineer.

"I want to become an engineer who builds robots that help make the world better," he said.

And chances are, he'll be able to use more than paper cups and duct tape when he does.