Holiday Meal Preservation Challenge

Day 5 

Challenge Overview: The "Holiday Meal Preservation Challenge" is an engineering design task that encourages students to create innovative solutions for keeping foods cold or warm in containers. This challenge is highly significant in today's world, as it focuses on providing practical support to homeless individuals and those in need during the holiday season, a time when community and sharing are especially important.
Challenge Statement: Participants are challenged to design and prototype containers that can effectively maintain food temperature, either cold or warm, for extended periods. These containers should be made from materials that are easily accessible, affordable, and sustainable.
Background/Scenario: The holidays are a time of joy and sharing, but for many, it's also a period of hardship, especially for those without homes or sufficient resources. Keeping food at the right temperature is a common challenge for these individuals. This engineering challenge aims to address this issue by developing practical, sustainable solutions that can be easily replicated and distributed to those in need.
Children's Book Connection: This challenge is inspired by the book "Stone Soup" by Marcia Brown, where a community comes together, each contributing what they can, to make a meal that everyone enjoys. This story highlights the importance of community support and sharing, particularly in the context of food and nourishment.
Challenge Categories:

1. Material Innovation: Focus on using recycled or easily accessible materials.
2. Temperature Efficiency: Solutions must effectively maintain the desired temperature.
3. Portability: Containers should be lightweight and easy to carry.
4. Sustainability: Emphasis on eco-friendly and reusable materials.

Submission Guidelines:

• Participants must submit a detailed report that includes the design process, materials used, and a prototype demonstration.
• The design must be feasible using commonly available materials.
• Safety and practicality for food storage should be clearly addressed.
• Prototypes should be accompanied by a video demonstration or photographs.

Judging Criteria:

1. Effectiveness in Temperature Maintenance: Ability to keep food warm or cold as intended.
2. Innovation and Creativity: Originality of the design and use of materials.
3. Sustainability and Accessibility: Use of eco-friendly and easily obtainable materials.
4. Practicality and Portability: Ease of use and transportability of the container.
5. Cost-Effectiveness: Affordability of the design for widespread production and distribution.

NGSS Standards Connection:This challenge aligns with several Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS):

• K-2-ETS1-1: Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.
• 3-5-ETS1-2: Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
• MS-ETS1-4: Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.