MDS Shines at Morganton Art Design and Engineering(MADE) Competition

This year’s MADE competition was an onsite challenge where competing teams created a product based on design criteria given to them on-site. This design challenge utilized problem-solving techniques, building and assembling skills, budgeting, creativity, and teamwork. 

The teams were given a design brief one week before the competition. This included the theme of the competition - design and build a prototype of a roller coaster that can run a marble for approximately 20 seconds. The students began pulling together their ideas and sketching out some plans - not knowing what materials would be available or the "budgeting" parameters for their actual build. They met several times after school so they could practice making some of the tricks and determine the specific theme of their coaster. But on competition day, all they could enter the building with were their own ideas.

On competition day, our five MDS student artists and engineers from 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grades stepped onto the stage and set to work. They worked seamlessly together, planning, sharing ideas, encouraging each other, problem-solving, and laughing as the marble jumped, spiraled, and raced down the track. Their roller coaster was called "The Illusion," and featured optical illusions throughout the design.

Participants were judged on several criteria including, but not limited to, quality of build, aesthetics, and proper adherence to design parameters. At the end of the day, Morganton Day School was awarded second place in the Middle School competition! Of the three winning teams, MDS was the only winning team that had multiple grade levels up against the other predominantly 8th-grade teams. A huge thank you to Amy Buchanan for donating her time and energy to working with Mrs. Cape supporting and guiding our students! Congratulations to Asa, Emma, Seren, Jayne, and Reid!