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  5. Mighty Monument Challenge
3M Young Innovators Challenge
Mighty Monument Challenge

Leicestershire/Nottinghamshire

Mighty Monument Challenge

  • Mighty Monument Challenge

    What's it about?

    This exciting primary school Challenge is to design and build a lightweight free-standing structure, themed on a monument. Using materials from a given list, the structure should support as much load as possible, up to a maximum of 10kg, held in a container whose base is at a height of 900mm. The Challenge is focused on the concept of ‘strength to weight ratio’ rather than outright weight holding capacity. Therefore, a lightweight structure holding less than 10kg could potentially outperform a heavier structure that supports the maximum load.

    The monument may either be themed on an existing world monument or pupils may research and construct a monument to honour a person or event relevant to the school’s locality.

    Judges will be looking for evidence of STEM learning into structures and forces, design and material experimentation and creativity in theming.

    Eligible school year groups: 3-6

    Entries accepted from: Individuals or teams of 2-5 students. Schools may submit a maximum of 3 entries for the Challenge. Teams may be mixed age if desired.

    Open to: Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire Authority schools, academies and private schools within the circulation area of the Loughborough Echo or who are members of the Loughborough Learning Alliance. Home-educated children may also participate. See our Terms and Conditions.

    Watch the video to see the creative entries in the 2019 competition.

  • British Science Association CREST Awards

    CREST Discovery Awards

    3M will pay for entries for the Mighty Monument Challenge to be submitted for a British Science Association CREST Discovery Award. See our Terms and Conditions. Please indicate your consent on the Entry Form.

Information for teachers
    • Download the Mighty Monument Challenge Risk Assessment
    • The aims of the Challenge are to (i) design and build a lightweight free-standing structure to support as much load as possible, up to a maximum of 10kg, held in a container whose base is at a height of 900mm (ii) maximise students’ STEM learning about aspects of structures, materials, stability and forces (iii) support place knowledge aspects of the primary geography curriculum
    • The Challenge is focused on the concept of ‘strength to weight ratio’ rather than outright weight holding capacity. Therefore, a lightweight structure holding less than 10kg could potentially outperform a heavier structure that supports the maximum load
    • The structure can only be built from materials on the Materials List
    • The monument itself may extend beyond the height of the loading container, if desired. There are no restrictions on the overall dimensions of the monument, however, please consider that it needs to be transported to the judging session
    • The monument may either be themed on an existing world monument or pupils may research and construct a monument to honour a person or event relevant to the school’s locality
    • The structure will be weighed prior to loading using digital weighing scales
    • The structure will be loaded with a combination of 100g, 200g and 500g stainless steel blocks to a maximum load of 10kg
    • More than one block can be added at the same time if desired, to maintain stability
    • To assist in determining the size of the container, block dimensions are:
      • 100g blocks: 25 x 25 x 21mm (25 pieces)
      • 250g blocks: 32 x 32 x 31mm (10 pieces)
      • 500g blocks: 40 x 40 x 40mm (10 pieces)
    • Students should carefully consider the impact of theming on the structure’s weight
    • Please take appropriate safety precautions when testing prototypes in class. Students will be asked to maintain a safe distance from the load testing area during judging
    • The structure should be brought to the judging session in May
    • Entries must be the students’ own work
Important Dates

Closing date for entries: 25 March 2020


Judging: 4, 5 and 6 May 2020 at 3M, Charnwood Campus, 10 Bakewell Road, Loughborough, LE11 5RB. Please indicate your preferred judging time on the entry form.

Judging
Entries will be screened to ensure they meet the entry criteria. Students, accompanied by their teacher, will be invited to present their Mighty Monument to the judges and give a presentation of up to 10 minutes containing information on their inspiration, research, material selection, prototypes, design and construction involved in creating their structure. The presentation can take any form (Powerpoint® slides, poster, simple talk etc.) and should aim to build the students’ confidence, communication and presentation skills. The judges will ask questions about the structure and their work. All members of a team should play a part in the presentation.
Testing
The structure will be weighed prior to loading using digital weighing scales, and the height of the base of the load container checked with a tape measure. Increasing load will be applied to the container, using small stainless steel blocks in 100g, 250g or 500g increments, to a maximum load of 10kg. Blocks may be loaded in any pattern within the container, as directed by the students. More than one block can be added at the same time, if desired, to maintain stability. Testing will stop when:
  • the monument breaks or falls over
  • the load is no longer supported at a height of 900mm
  • or the entrant/team requests that no further load is applied
    • Mark Scheme

    Up to 40 marks for the structure's performance, based on the ratio of load carrying capacity to the structure’s weight.

    Up to 25 marks for evidence of STEM learning including:

  • idea generation
  • background research
  • material selection
  • prototyping
  • design
  • overcoming problems and challenges

    • Up to 15 marks for quality of the presentation

    Up to 20 marks for the monument’s theming, appearance and visual appeal

    Total marks available = 100

    The students’ year group will be taken into account when awarding marks.

    Judges will select 4-6 finalists who will be invited to attend the 3M Young Innovators Challenge presentation evening at Charnwood Campus on 19 June 2020, where their Mighty Monuments and presentations will be displayed and the winner will be announced.

    Prizes
    £750 of science or engineering equipment for school use plus a £50 gift voucher for the winning individual or team member. All finalists and their schools will receive a framed certificate.

    All entrants will receive a certificate of entry and personalised feedback from the judges.
    Curriculum links
    Links to Science Curriculum (England)

    Year 5 Forces and magnets

    Pupils should be taught to:
  • explain that unsupported objects fall towards the Earth because of the force of gravity acting between the Earth and the falling object
  • identify the effects of air resistance, water resistance and friction, that act between moving surfaces
  • recognise that some mechanisms including levers, pulleys and gears allow a smaller force to have a greater effect

    • Links to Design and Technology Curriculum (England)

    Key stage 2

    When designing and making, pupils should be taught to:

    Design
  • use research and develop design criteria to inform the design of innovative, functional, appealing products that are fit for purpose
  • generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through discussion, annotated sketches, prototypes

    • Make
  • select from and use a wider range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks
  • select from and use a wider range of materials and components, including construction materials

    • Evaluate
  • investigate and analyse a range of existing products
  • evaluate their ideas and products against their own design criteria and consider the views of others to improve their work

    • Technical knowledge
  • apply their understanding of how to strengthen, stiffen and reinforce more complex structures

    • Links to Geography Curriculum (England)

    Key Stage 2

    Pupils should extend their knowledge and understanding beyond the local area to include the United Kingdom and Europe, North and South America. This will include the location and characteristics of a range of the world’s most significant human and physical features. They should develop their use of geographical knowledge, understanding and skills to enhance their locational and place knowledge.
    Pupils should be taught to:

    Place knowledge
  • understand geographical similarities and differences through the study of human and physical geography of a region of the United Kingdom, a region in a European country, and a region in North or South America

    • Geographical skills and fieldwork
  • use maps, atlases, globes and digital/computer mapping to locate countries and describe features studied
  • use fieldwork to observe, measure record and present the human and physical features in the local area using a range of methods, including sketch maps, plans and graphs, and digital technologies

    • Important documents to download

    Please make sure you download these important documents for the Mighty Monument Challenge. Please save the entry form to your device and send as a file attachment to younginnovators@mmm.com.


    If you have any questions, please Get in Touch.
    Please see our Terms and Conditions.

    Judges

    • Sam Stephens

      Sam Stephens

      Sam Stephens is the founding director of TBAT Innovation, a team of 20 consultants, and has worked for many diverse organisations raising investment and guiding them through successful innovation to commercialisation. A passionate engineer from an early age building lawnmower powered go-karts and radio controlled planes, Sam’s career has seen him working in the aerospace, nuclear and power engineering sectors. This passion continues today through vintage and classic car restoration. Sam is delighted to be judging the Mighty Monument Challenge and is looking forward to the students’ creative engineering projects.

    • Judith Payne

      Judith Payne

      Judith Payne has worked for Leicestershire Education Business Company for over 20 years, working extensively with primary and secondary schools and setting up the Right to Read scheme in Leicestershire before specialising in STEM project work. Judith currently manages all the company’s STEM work with schools and businesses in Leicestershire and Northamptonshire. Judith is also a qualified teacher, lives in West Leicestershire and has two grown up children.

    3M Young Innovators Challenge

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