BP SCIENCE and TECHNOLOGY CHALLENGE

New Zealanders are known for their ingenuity and our next generation of Kiwi innovators had the chance to show off their skills in devising and developing these gadgets and gizmos using simple materials such as paper, cardboard, string and sellotape at the Canterbury BP Challenge which took place at Villa Maria College on Tuesday 20 October 2009

200 students, 50 primary and science teachers, 20 University of Canterbury Trainee teachers and 3 School Advisors from Canterbury area came together to put their best teams of students forward for these exercises  in hands-on, minds-on learning.

Teams for different schools competed against each other in finding a solution to the challenging tasks. 

This first round saw teams bring a prepared wind powered racer and face off against each other. Many designs were trialled including that of the girls from Catholic Catheral College who brought their pink girl racer design which even included an impressive exhaust! However it was the team from Hillmorton High School who came out number one. Jaimie Whiting was an integral part of the team providing materials and leading the pack for this section. They were well supported by their teacher Mr Greeve. In the primary section Westburn Primary School came in first and second.

The second  event saw some creative designs being used to grab ping pong balls from one side and dropping them into a container 2 metres away. A few teams impressed the judges with their innovative ideas- special mention to Christ college with their robotic claw made of straws and the Shirley boys team came up with the snapper trap. Cashmere High proved to be the champion ball grabbers collecting 28 balls in 3 minutes! In the primary section Diamond Harbour Primary School came in first with 21.

Finally for the Mystery challenge, students had to design a method which kept a ping pong ball in the air for the longest amount of time. Designs, were long, short, big, small, inside out and upside down! There was a real mix. But in the end it was a case of simple works best, with a large sheet of paper with the ball stuck to it being a tried and true method. Joint winners for this section was Christchurch Girls High School and Villa Maria College with Villa Maria’s year 7 and 8 team winning the primary section for this event.

Overall it was a day full of creativity and enthusiasm and enjoyed by all!

1^st St Thomas of Canterbury

2^{nd equal}  Kirkwood Intermediate and Diamond Harbour Primary

The event aims to foster ingenuity and teamwork, in a fun environment. Members of Canterbury Science Teachers Association and University of Canterbury Education Plus have been responsible for the planning and organisation. This Canterbury event is sponsored by The ,Royal Society of New Zealand BP Oil NZ, Science Alive and CSTA.

Further information on the BP Challenge can be obtained from

Madeleine Fee,Science Advisor,UC Education Plus by emailing madeleine.fee@canterbury.ac.nz