Junior Engineering
The Engineering competition is designed for a team of three to five students to use innovative problem solving techniques and engineering concepts. Teams will use items from a specified list and will be required to interact with judges during the competition. A club may have only one entry.
**Time Limit: 45 Minutes **
Competition Guidelines
Junior Construction - Rollercoaster
- Each club may enter one team of three to five students.
- Teams will be given forty-five (45) minutes to construct and ninety (90) seconds to demonstrate and explain the project.
- The invention must be constructed on a piece of foam board 30 inches by 40 inches. This piece of foam board will be separate from the materials container.
- The invention may have parts that suspend beyond the board, but cannot be braced/tethered/supported by anything (i.e. wall or floor) other than the board.
- The team must use items from the specified list and materials must fit into a closed 10 gallon plastic storage container with a lid.
- All construction must be done on-site. No steps can be preassembled, construction pieces must be separate and the board must be free of any writing or marks. Electricity will not be available.
Educational Connections
- Engineering and Innovation
- Communication and Collaboration
- Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
- Scale and Measurement
- Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics (STEAM)
- Students will investigate and find solutions, designs, and strategies from an infinite number of possibilities using inquiry, collaboration, and process-based learning.
Approved Materials List
The team must use ONLY the items from the specified list of materials below. Materials must fit into a closed 10 gallon container with lid. Teams will be responsible for all materials and the foam board needed for the build.
| Approved Materials | ||
|---|---|---|
| Thread spools | Cans | Toothpicks |
| Toothbrushes | Index cards | Paper clips |
| Sandwich bags | tongue depressors/popsicle sticks | Boxes |
| Matchbox car | Newspaper | Playing cards |
| Marbles | Aluminum foil | Paper plates |
| Dice | Egg cartons | String |
| Tape | Adhesives | Balloons |
| Rubber Bands | Paper Fasteners | Scissors |
| Straws | Wheels | Modeling Clay |
| Tinker Toys | Zip Ties | Magnets |
| Cotton Balls | Card Stock | Batteries |
| Battery operated glue gun with glue sticks | Balls (plastic, metal, rubber) | Cups (paper, plastic, or styrofoam) |
| Plastic Toys (to include K’inex and Construx) | Cardboard | Cork |
| Spoons | Plastic Bottles | Dried Beans |
| Clothes Pins | Ruler | Shoelaces |
| Dominoes | Pipe Cleaners | Wire |
| Cardboard Tubes | Legos | Writing Utensils |
How to Enter
- Visit www.betaclub.org/events/conventions and follow directions.
- Register students and then select competitions to enter.
- Bring 30” by 40” foam board and container of materials to convention.
Judging Criteria
| Engineering | 16-20 | 11-15 | 6-10 | 1-5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Complexity | Structure displays excellent complexity of the steps used in the build. | Structure displays good complexity of the steps used in the build. | Structure displays average complexity of the steps used in the build. | Structure displays minimal complexity of the steps used in the build. |
| Creativity | Structure exhibits excellent creative solution in all aspects of the challenge. | Structure exhibits good creative solution in all aspects of the challenge. | Structure exhibits average creative solution in all aspects of the challenge. | Structure exhibits minimal creative solution in all aspects of the challenge. |
| Critical Thinking | Students exhibit excellent ability to consider alternatives to the design and construction during the process. | Students exhibit good ability to consider alternatives to the design and construction during the process. | Students exhibit average ability to consider alternatives to the design and construction during the process. | Students exhibit minimal ability to consider alternatives to the design and construction during the process. |
| Team Communication | Displays excellent communication and collaboration throughout the entire process. | Displays good communication and collaboration throughout the entire process. | Displays average communication and collaboration throughout the entire process. | Displays minimal communication and collaboration throughout the entire process. |
| Overall Quality | Structural integrity and demonstration of challenge are excellent. | Structural integrity and demonstration of challenge are good. | Structural integrity and demonstration of challenge are average. | Structural integrity and demonstration of challenge are minimal. |
| Deductions | This will be taken one time by the coordinator. | Did not follow competition guidelines -10 |