Egg Drop Design Check-In for 6th Grade
A one-page, day-three design check-in worksheet that has 6th graders explain how their egg-protection features affect stopping time, impact force, and speed, using an energy account and a short reasoning statement. It is built for a single class period during the egg drop build, with a word bank and a construction checklist to support the work.
“Modify this for the egg drop activity: Day 3 building and draft reasoning Name: ____________________________ Team: __________________ Period: ______ Goal: I can explain how my design changes impact. Evidence: I connect a design feature to stopping time, force, or speed in a draft reasoning statement. Construction check Check each item: □ within size limit □ egg removable □ secure parts □ purchases recorded □ money at or below $20 Describe any change from your drawing: __________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Reasoning before a test R1 A feature that will change the egg’s stopping time or distance is… Explain how this may change impact force. ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ R2 If our device uses air resistance, how could it change speed and kinetic energy before impact? If it does not, explain the cushioning strategy instead. ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Energy account Before release During the fall During impact Energy stored because of height: _____________________ _____________________ Energy of motion changes: _____________________ _____________________ Energy transfers into: _____________________ _____________________ Energy is conserved. Include bending or compressing materials, motion, sound, or thermal energy in your explanation. Some deformation may store energy briefly. Exit: What observation tomorrow would cause you to revise your claim? __________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________”
Teacher Guide & Tips
- Use this during the building phase, after teams have drafted their designs and before any drop test, so reasoning comes before results.
- Discussion question: How could adding a crumple zone change the force on the egg, and why does stopping over a longer time matter?
- Scaffold for struggling readers: Provide the word bank definitions aloud and model one R1 sentence frame ("A feature that will ___ is ___, which changes impact force because ___") before students write independently.
- Extension for advanced students: Ask them to compare how air resistance versus cushioning changes total energy transfer, and to predict which design will reduce kinetic energy most before impact.
- Estimated time: About 30 to 40 minutes, with the construction check and energy account taking the most time.
What is Diffit?
Teachers use Diffit to get quality materials for their unique classrooms. Adjust difficulty, add scaffolds, or change the topic to get started.
Try Diffit for free“Modify this for the egg drop activity: Day 3 building and draft reasoning Name: ____________________________ Team: __________________ Period: ______ Goal: I can explain how my design changes impact. Evidence: I connect a design feature to stopping time, force, or speed in a draft reasoning statement. Construction check Check each item: □ within size limit □ egg removable □ secure parts □ purchases recorded □ money at or below $20 Describe any change from your drawing: __________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Reasoning before a test R1 A feature that will change the egg’s stopping time or distance is… Explain how this may change impact force. ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ R2 If our device uses air resistance, how could it change speed and kinetic energy before impact? If it does not, explain the cushioning strategy instead. ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Energy account Before release During the fall During impact Energy stored because of height: _____________________ _____________________ Energy of motion changes: _____________________ _____________________ Energy transfers into: _____________________ _____________________ Energy is conserved. Include bending or compressing materials, motion, sound, or thermal energy in your explanation. Some deformation may store energy briefly. Exit: What observation tomorrow would cause you to revise your claim? __________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________”
Teacher Guide & Tips
- Use this during the building phase, after teams have drafted their designs and before any drop test, so reasoning comes before results.
- Discussion question: How could adding a crumple zone change the force on the egg, and why does stopping over a longer time matter?
- Scaffold for struggling readers: Provide the word bank definitions aloud and model one R1 sentence frame ("A feature that will ___ is ___, which changes impact force because ___") before students write independently.
- Extension for advanced students: Ask them to compare how air resistance versus cushioning changes total energy transfer, and to predict which design will reduce kinetic energy most before impact.
- Estimated time: About 30 to 40 minutes, with the construction check and energy account taking the most time.
Egg Drop Design Check-In for 6th Grade
A one-page, day-three design check-in worksheet that has 6th graders explain how their egg-protection features affect stopping time, impact force, and speed, using an energy account and a short reasoning statement. It is built for a single class period during the egg drop build, with a word bank and a construction checklist to support the work.
What is Diffit?
Teachers use Diffit to get quality materials for their unique classrooms. Adjust difficulty, add scaffolds, or change the topic to get started.
Try Diffit for free