Casey Community School Egg Drop

The students in Standards 5 & 6 (7th and 8th grade) have been studying physical science this year.  We've been studying Mass, Force, Acceleration, Momentum, etc.  What better way to put learning into practice than with a good old-fashioned Egg Drop.

Challenge:  Pack a single, fresh, hen’s egg so well that when it is dropped from various heights (Approximately 10, ft, 20 ft, and 30 ft), it will not break. Please abide by the following rules so that it is fun for all.

Egg Drop Rules

1.  You must use a fresh chicken egg provided by Mr. Sean.  It cannot be cooked.

2.  You may not coat the egg with any type of material such as paint, rubber latex,

cement, tape, etc. In other words, the packing may not be fused onto the egg.

3.  You may use some type of suspension system inside the package so long as it is not fused onto the egg – or you may just pack the egg in some kind of packing material: popcorn, crushed paper, peanuts, etc.  It must be possible to remove and inspect the egg after each drop.

4.  The overall size of the container may not be more than 6” by 6” by 6”. This is very important because all packages must be able to drop through the basketball hoop for the first drop.

5.  Your name must be visible on the outside of the package.

6.  Only the teacher will drop the packages.  All students must stay clear of the drop area and the landing area while the drop is happening.  Not following these directions will result in disqualification.

7.  After the “all’s safe” is given, get your package to check if your egg survived after each drop. All packages must be opened after each drop.  Only eggs that are un-cracked will be allowed to continue to the next drop.

8.  Make sure that all packing material and litter is picked up. The area must be cleaned before you leave.

9.  You must submit a drawing of you package and a list of building supplies to Mr. Sean before you begin building.

10. Remember to use what you have learned in Science this school year as you plan your packages.  Good Luck!

 10 eggs started the egg drop, but how many would finish? 

 The student body got to inspect the drop containers and eggs before they were loaded up for the first drop.

Drop 1:  10 eggs drop 10 feet.

Results of Drop 1:  4 eggs scrambled, 6 eggs move on.

Drop 2:  20ish foot drop off the deck at The Loft.

The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat.

Results of Drop 2:  4 more eggs scrambled, 2 move on to the final drop.

Drop 3:  30ish foot drop off the roof of The Loft.

Theoretically there could have been 10 winners if all 10 eggs had survived all 3 drops, but in the end there was only one.

Congrats to Max the egg, winner of the Casey Community School 2013 Egg Drop!

Earth Day 2013

Earth Day 2013 at the Casey Community School

During the course of this school year we've had three palm trees in the school yard that have died and been cut down.  After reading The Lorax this morning, each class planted a coconut sprout in the school yard to replace the trees we've lost and add a few extra for good measure.

 In the afternoon the whole school pitched in to start our mahogany tree nursery.

Step 1:  fill grow bags

Step 2:  Prep the seeds

Each seed needs to have the 'blade' broken off, leaving the 'bulb' to be planted.

Step 3:  Plant the seed 'bulbs' in the grow bags.

Step 5:  Sunshine - Water - Repeat

 

La Cascada

 Everywhere that I travel, and live, I try to get the local perspective on the best things to do, to eat, and to drink.  Here in Gallon Jug there has been almost unanimous agreement from everyone I've asked on all three:  the best thing to eat is rice and beans - a national obsession, the best thing to drink is Belikin - the beer of Belize, and the best thing to do is go to the Cascada. 
The Cascada had been on my radar since my first day in Gallon Jug, the problem was figuring out what exactly the Cascada was, and how exactly to get there.  Opinions varied greatly on both.
To me the word cascada brings to mind a cascade, or waterfall, but while quizzing people on the Cascada waterfall never came up.  Instead, most descriptions included a river, a 20 to 50 foot deep pool of water, and a cave.  

Getting to the Cascada was also grounds for great debate.  Due to the logging that has been part of the history of the area known as Gallon Jug going back hundreds of years to when the Spanish, British, and Maya were all staking claims to the land, there are trails going seemingly randomly all throughout the jungle - many of which supposedly go to, or near the Cascada.  After repeatedly asking multiple sources I was able to identify THE road to the Cascada, an old logging trail about 5 miles drive from the the loft.

 Recently when a friend visited I made arrangements to head to the Cascada with some colleagues from the village who'd been there before.  When our 'guides' fell through at the last moment, due to a broken down vehicle, we decided to go ahead with the trip, being advised to bring along a machete and a roll of orange tape to leave behind a trail of 'bread crumbs' to follow back, and the firm warning to NOT stray from the trail. 

As the saying goes, getting there is half the battle.  After finding the right jungle road to go down, we still had a 5 mile drive down a road that is only passable during the dry season.  After 5 miles drive, going over and around downed trees and muddy ruts we came to a 4-way intersection that included the walking trail to the Cascada.

Armed with a machete, orange tape, gatorade, and bug spray we made our way into the jungle, and aside from a 30 minute detour down the wrong trail, we made it to the Cascada no worse for wear, and all the more ready for a swim. 

 The trail to the Cascada is mostly down hill along a ridge overlooking a large ravine. The Cascada consists of a large pool of water/ river emanating from a large cave - a large cave with bats. 

 From the mouth of the cave the water runs through a river channel for about a hundred yards, widening in to a fantastic swimming/ picnic area.

 

I can honestly say that the Cascada is the most beautiful freshwater place that I have ever swam.  I also gained some big time credibility when I told my students that I was brave enough to make the jump from above the cave into the pool below, which is about 15 feet deep by my estimation.

 

 Though there is no waterfall to be seen, I think it is safe to assume that during the wet season, when it is not possible to get to the Cascada, there is probably an impressive waterfall that runs through the ravine and over the cave.
Since my initial visit to the Cascada I've made a return trip by bike, which was fantastic.  I also gave friends directions to the Cascada, which resulted in them getting lost for an hour just trying to find the road into the jungle, and being chased by spider monkeys on their way back to the car after swimming.  
If you go, be prepared for an adventure!