On November 3rd, previous Northeastern volunteers came together for a day focused on design challenges and feedback. In the morning volunteers competed to see who could construct the tallest, most sturdy Paper Tower that could stand on its own with a limited number of index cards. The volunteers then worked on making either a miniature Catapult or a modified ballista that would still function properly.
After lunch the volunteers designed Reverse Egg Drop catching devices with one of five restrictions. The restriction options were as follows:
1. The budget was limited to $33 (instead of $100).
2. At least six different materials had to be used.
3. Not using any tape.
4. Only using two materials.
5. Only using materials that cost less than $5.
All of the designs were out of the box and tackled the problem in new and creative ways.
The last activity of the day was Paper Rockets which had its own challenges. Volunteers had the option to design a rocket with one fin, with at least ten fins, or using only one piece of paper. At the end of the day everyone discussed their experience and their thoughts on how to improve the activities for future field trips.
