The sixth-graders in advanced math and science classes at Westerville City Schools’ middle schools were issued a challenge: create a container to ship a single Pringles potato chip to the district’s office in the Early Learning Center.
The goal was to design a package that had the smallest volume and smallest mass, which protected the chip so it would arrive at its destination undamaged.
Scott Reeves, assistant superintendent of Teaching and Learning, and Mike Huler, a secondary math curriculum specialist, evaluated and scored the containers, as well as the chips, as part of the Annual Chip Challenge — a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) initiative that started in 2010.
The design challenge aligns with the district’s Portrait of a Graduate work, providing students an opportunity to apply the skills they learn in the classroom such as communication, collaboration and problem solving.
Winners from Blendon Middle School include:
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Nora Edon and Ilhan Mohamed; Jeffrey Murdock, teacher (first place in the district)
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Norah McCabe, Evgenia Pistolias and Landon Hughes; Nancy Brobst, teacher
Winners from Genoa Middle School include:
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Nash Burnette, Abigail Patton, Zak Carpenter and Luke Warden; Pam Charleston, teacher
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Elaina Shieh, Katherine Goad, Nour Zeroual and Riley Rheinfrank; Charleston, teacher (second place in the district)
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Pricilla Fernandes and Joshua Hissong; Jamie Yeater, teacher
Winners from Heritage Middle School include:
Winners from Walnut Springs Middle School include:
The design challenge is supported by the Gifted Education, Science and Math Departments.