Today started out just like a normal day. We began our investigative mathematics looking at different strategies to add TU, HTU and ThHTU. But then we had a tweet from @alienfromvega. This is what it said,
So we went straight to the website and we found the following message and video.
If you are reading this then you received my message via twitter.
Cwmclydach and Rabbsfarm
I need your help urgently.
I have a challenge for you. I need your help as I know you are good at solving problems and working out science investigations.
I need you to work as engineers for me and it is your job to find a way of safely landing delicate instruments on my planet.
At the moment my spacecraft cannot land on the planet due to a broken flux capacitor but can hover about 2 metres above.
My people need these instruments ASAP.
You will need to use as little material as possible for your lander and parachute.
As my delicate instruments are under my secret guard then you can use these strange chicken eggs that you have on earth to test your ideas.
Now what is my planet like? Well it has a similar atmosphere to you and has gravity just like you on earth.
This is TOP SECRET but as long as you do not show anybody else, below is a snippet of what my planet looks like.
Remember don't show anyone!
I have been thinking about what items you earthlings could use.
Some things could be:
cardboard
balloons
polythene bags
ice-lolly sticks
rubber bands
cotton wool balls
tape
cardboard
scrap paper sheets
Think about the speed of your lander just before it hits the floor.
Also think about the distance it will move on, after it begins to touch the floor.
You will need to:
• Work together across schools on the different stages
• Plan your design
• Involve each person in the team
• Think carefully about what you will use
• Choose the best ideas and draw your design
• Build it
• Explain why it will work as you intend
Testing rules:
1.You are allowed to hold the parachute open to start.
2.The egg must be 2 metres above the floor when you let go.
I need you to then let me know your results as soon as you can as my people need these instruments quickly. You can tweet me your progress and results.
Good Luck to both schools and remember you need to work together.
Well we video conferenced with Rabbsfarm straight away and decided to work together. We first had to write down some initial ideas, draw our ideas and what we thought would work. We shared our ideas with Rabbsfarm and looked at what would or wouldn't work. Pupils from both class worked together coming up with a plan, design and discussed the making together. They used video conferencing and it was great to be able to work alongside each other although we were in two different countries.
We then began making our prototypes and tested them but from one not two metres to see if it would protect the egg. The group that worked with Rabbsfarm discussed their results together and how they could improve the lander and parachute, altering it accordingly.
It was then time to test our lander and parachutes. We tested ours first in the classroom with Rabbsfarm watching our experiment and then we watched Rabbsfarms. They did their experiment outside so we got to see the effect of wind on the landers as well.
SHORT VIDEO OF RABBSFARM'S LIVE Launch USING VIDEO CONFERENCING
We came up with the following tweets which we sent to @alienfromvega with what we thought was best from the evidence of our experiments and those of Rabbsfarm. We had a great day collaborating, being creative, using critical thinking and communicating with Rabbsfarm.