Union Public School students squared off against students from 11 other schools Thursday at a K’Nex Egg Drop competition hosted at Union High School.
Katie Goss, gifted teacher for UPSD, said the competition was set up through the district’s participation with the East Central Talented and Gifted Association. Union ECTAG students, she said, squared off against ECTAG students from 11 other schools in the program
“Students use K’Nex pieces to design a car that will transport a raw egg down a ramp elevated to 2-, 4-, 6-, and 8-feet, without cracking the egg or violating any other rules for that year’s challenge,” Goss said. “The winner is the vehicle with the lightest mass that completes the highest ramp without cracking the egg or violating any other rules from that year’s challenge.”
Each year, Goss said, the rules change, and new challenges are added to really test students’ ingenuity and problem-solving abilities. This year, she said, students had to incorporate golf balls into their cars, which forced them to think about how to keep everything steady, so the golf ball wouldn’t crack the egg.
“This year’s challenge required that students in second grade also have a compartment with a golf ball behind their egg,” she said. “Students in third grade through high school had to design a car with compartments containing two golf balls, one in front of and one behind the egg. The students found it particularly challenging, but they rose to the occasion and had a great time using their ingenuity to build and rebuild their cars!
In total, almost 400 students, from second grade through high school, participated in the competition. After the first round, the first-place winners in divisions I-IV competed in a championship round to crown a tournament champion.
Although Union ECTAG students did not win the highest honor - Newton County Division IV-A won the championship round - they took some solace in knowing the champion team was just down the road.
Joining Newton County in victory were:
Division Y-A (2nd) — Union (1), Morton (2), Neshoba (3)
Division Y-B (2nd) — Union (1), Leake Central (2), Neshoba (3)
Div. I-A (3rd-4th) — Morton (1), Union (2), Newton Co. (3)
Div. I-B (3rd-4th) — Lake (1), Neshoba (2), Leake Central (3)
Div. II-A (5th-6th) — Hawkins Middle (1), Union (2), Morton (3)
Div. II-B (5th-6th) — Newton Co (1) Scott Central (2), Morton (3)
Div. III-A (7th-8th) — Hawkins Middle (1), Newton Co (2), Philadelphia (3)
Div. III-B (7th-8th) — Scott Central (1), Newton Co (2), Philadelphia (3)
Div. IV-A (high school) — Newton Co (1), Scott Central (2), Leake Central (3)
Div. IV-B (high school) — Newton Co (1) Scot Central (2), Leake Central (3)
Grand Champions: Newton Co Div. IV-A
2nd Overall: Hawkins Middle Div. III-A
3rd Overall: Forest II-A
