Pringles Challenge Tests Postal Prowess
Young people seemingly would find it difficult to work with potato chips and not have the urge to taste test a handful or two. Not so with our third- and sixth-graders, who recently underwent the Pringles Challenge and came away from the project without a single chip consumed.
Lower School science teacher Steve Jewett introduced the national project to his classes and had students work in teams of two to four participants. Teams had to come up with a packaging design that would safely ship a single Pringles potato chip through the US Postal Service.
“The project involved brainstorming, designing, constructing, and testing to get students’ packages ready for final shipping,” he maintained, noting that some of the challenges included keeling the weight of the package low and keeping the volume small but large enough so that the postal service would accept the package.
Several class periods were spent on the challenge before the official shipping day rolled around last week. The final packages were sent to two schools: Madeira Middle School in Chicago, Ill., and Georgetown Middle School, located in Georgetown, Mass.
“We in turn will be receiving packages, each with a single Pringle and evaluating the condition of the contents, weight, and volume,” explained Mr. Jewett. “Each package will get a final score for the different criteria. We are eagerly anticipating the arrival from our ‘chipster’ schools!”
All shipping had to be complete by April 20.
Mr. Jewett added that the project has been a valuable STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) experience for our students.
“I was impressed with how well they worked together to meet this design challenge,” he said.
Household items such as cotton balls and other fluffy matter were utilized during the design process to keep the Pringle intact. According to the official rules, the chip could not be altered or have any substance applied to it. Once received by the partner school, the Pringle had to be recoverable and edible – although, the guidelines advised that students shouldn’t eat it!
Lower School science teacher Steve Jewett introduced the national project to his classes and had students work in teams of two to four participants. Teams had to come up with a packaging design that would safely ship a single Pringles potato chip through the US Postal Service.
“The project involved brainstorming, designing, constructing, and testing to get students’ packages ready for final shipping,” he maintained, noting that some of the challenges included keeling the weight of the package low and keeping the volume small but large enough so that the postal service would accept the package.
Several class periods were spent on the challenge before the official shipping day rolled around last week. The final packages were sent to two schools: Madeira Middle School in Chicago, Ill., and Georgetown Middle School, located in Georgetown, Mass.
“We in turn will be receiving packages, each with a single Pringle and evaluating the condition of the contents, weight, and volume,” explained Mr. Jewett. “Each package will get a final score for the different criteria. We are eagerly anticipating the arrival from our ‘chipster’ schools!”
All shipping had to be complete by April 20.
Mr. Jewett added that the project has been a valuable STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) experience for our students.
“I was impressed with how well they worked together to meet this design challenge,” he said.
Household items such as cotton balls and other fluffy matter were utilized during the design process to keep the Pringle intact. According to the official rules, the chip could not be altered or have any substance applied to it. Once received by the partner school, the Pringle had to be recoverable and edible – although, the guidelines advised that students shouldn’t eat it!
Hamden Hall Country Day School
1108 Whitney Avenue
Hamden, Connecticut 06517
Phone: 203-752-2600
Fax: 203-752-2651
admissions@hamdenhall.org
Hamden, Connecticut 06517
Phone: 203-752-2600
Fax: 203-752-2651
admissions@hamdenhall.org
About Us
Hamden Hall Country Day School, located less than two miles from Yale University, is one of the best private schools in Connecticut to enroll elementary, middle, and high school students. Our nurturing and inclusive community provides a dynamic learning environment that promotes academic excellence by understanding each child and fostering their individual growth.
