The Friday Hack Debuts at Andover High

The Friday Hack debuted this fall at Andover High.  What is the Friday Hack? Students really don't know exactly is going to happen during this event except that they will be given a design challenge to complete during a specified time period while competing on a team of 2-4 students.  The Hack, organized by Director of Strategic Innovation Steve Chinosi and PreK-12 Science Program Coordinator Steve Sanborn, has taken place twice so far on a Friday afternoon after school, once each in November and December and students simply show up to participate.  The November Hack drew about 20 participants who were faced with three progressively more challenging design challenges - first, build the tallest free-standing structure from a single sheet of paper in 15 minutes.

The winning structure, built from one sheet of paper

The second challenge required the construction of a tower from two pieces of paper but this time the highest point of the tower had to be occupied by a tennis ball.

Challenge 2 - tennis ball tower

The third challenge allowed three pieces of paper to build a structure to support a tennis ball that could withstand the force of wind generated from a box fan, again in 15 minutes.

Testing towers against the wind

Competition is underway

The theme during the second Friday Hack (a.k.a. The Holly Hack)  saw more than a doubling of student participation with nearly 50 students showing up to participate in two challenges involving dropping stuff.  During the first challenge, teams were given a rubber balloon and access to numerous common objects - the challenge was to inflate and modify the balloon so that bounced as many times as possible when dropped from the walkway crossing the foyer inside the main entrance of AHS.

Mr. Chinosi gives instructions for the challenge

Students work to improve balloon "bouncability"

Testing time!

The winning balloon bouncers with their Orange Leaf gift card

The second December challenge required student teams to construct something from a bag and three other objects that would float to the ground the slowest when released from the foyer walkway.  

Going with the duel parachute approach

Increasing surface area to increase air resistance

The top two teams - ready for the final drop off

The victors and their simple but effective design

Future Friday Hacks are being planned for 2016 with increasingly complex challenges ahead - more Orange Leaf gift cards await the most creative and best designed solutions to future design challenges.  The objective will continue to offer students a recreational design challenge experience just for the fun of it!