Students in the newly formed Introduction to Engineering Design PLTW class broke into teams for their first Instant Challenge of the year. In an Instant Challenge, students have no advance notice and are given a design situation in which they must brainstorm, design, test, and remodel in timed intervals. By the end of class, they must test or present their project for grading. In this challenge, students were given a plastic bag and several seemingly random items inside. They had to use all items, including the plastic bag, to design a flying device that would travel at least five feet. The team of juniors sailed seven feet with an intact, reusable device. The team of sophomores sailed eleven feet, but the device broke apart on impact. They then debriefed on function and stability. 

-Mrs. Watson