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Egg Drop Design CER Practice Assignment

Your engineering team has been hired to analyze three pods that can safely deliver a fragile item (an egg) from a tall drop without breaking. Your job is to choose the design that will protect the egg best by keeping the impact force as low as possible. A lower impact force happens when a design:

  • Decreases velocity (slows the egg down before it hits the ground)
  • Increases collision time (spreads the impact out over a longer time)
  • Keeps mass low (lighter pods usually hit with less force)

You must choose ONE design to approve for the final drop and defend this choice in a 1 paragraph CER that:

  • Includes a well-written claim that answers the question
  • Includes at least 2 pieces of evidence from the ARTICLES on CK 23 (slides 6-8)
  • Includes scientific reasoning that explains how that evidence supports your claim
  • Includes a closing statement that concludes the paragraph

Group 1

The 3 Designs:

  • Design A: Parachute Frame Pod
  • Design B: Straw Spider Pod
  • Design C: Cup + Tissue Parachute Pod

Source 1.1

Design A: “Parachute Frame Pod”

  • A light frame holds the egg.
  • A parachute opens above the egg to slow it down.
  • The egg is suspended under the parachute.

Source 1.2

Design B: “Straw Spider Pod”

  • The egg is surrounded by many flexible straws sticking out in all directions.
  • There is no parachute.
  • The straws act like “legs” that might bend or bounce on impact.

Source 1.3

Design C: “Cup + Tissue Parachute Pod”

  • The egg is placed in a cup (like a plastic cup).
  • A tissue/parachute is attached on top.
  • The cup hangs under the parachute and drops straight down.

Question 1a

Essay

Choose ONE design to approve for the final drop and defend this choice in a 1 paragraph CER (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning) that:

  • Includes a well-written claim that answers the question
  • Includes at least 2 pieces of evidence from the ARTICLES on CK 23 (slides 6-8)
  • Includes scientific reasoning that explains how that evidence supports your claim
  • Includes a closing statement that concludes the paragraph

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