BP Challenge There are two challenges below which have been taken from the official BP Challenge in New

Zealand. This is a hand-on activities where students work as a team using simple
materials to solve problems.

1. Sounds of Alarm

Knowledge and Skills - Communication; Devices Participating & Contributing; Thinking; Using Language, Symbols & Texts

Scenario
Eight of your team have been stranded on a desert island. They are weak with hunger. To make things worse the only fresh water on the island contained a strain of a nasty virus that has rendered all of you speechless (oh yes it has!) One of your team has a broken leg (lower left leg) and a badly burned right arm. Just when you think things couldnt get worse, you discover that on an island very close to yours is another team in (amazingly) exactly the same situation as you. You know a boat is to appear soon but its only big enough to rescue eight people at a time. Its you or the other team who will be rescued first?

Task
You need to make sounds of alarm. And to perform a visual display for the 20 seconds the boat is in view.

Materials

6 sheets newspaper a piece of cloth 2 m white cotton string a roll of sellotape a plastic bag a plastic bottle scissors (for construction only)

Conditions

The only equipment you may use is a selection of materials found on your island: that is, you may use only the items you are given. You will have only the time it takes for the boat to come near to construct your noise-makers, treat your patient and prepare your visual performance. When your team is called you must carry your injured person to the place where the boat can be seen and when the boat appears you have 10 seconds to attract the crews attention.

Judging Criteria

No one talks while undertaking the challenge. No voice is used in the alarm. The sounds of alarm or performance are effective and original. The patient is treated. Team cooperation.

OR the second challenge task

2. Earthquake Shelter

Knowledge and Skills- Shelters; Structures Managing Self; Participating & Contributing; Thinking

There has been a severe earthquake, followed by a moderate, very cold wind from the south and it appears that it will soon start snowing. With night coming, you urgently need shelter for yourself and two friends, one of whom is injured, otherwise you could die of hypothermia. You need to make the shelter away from the rubble of damaged and collapsed buildings, as none of them are safe, and also make it able to withstand the strong aftershocks which are still shaking the area. You find a well-drained, sheltered spot suitable to build a shelter, but can only find newspapers in a plastic shopping bag, some sticky tape, string and a large sheet of thin plastic. You estimate you have 30 minutes to build the shelter before it gets dark and starts snowing.

Task
To make a shelter able to hold the whole group and able to withstand a weight placed on it.

You will have

36 full sheets of newspaper (some of which are to act as the plastic sheet), one 10m roll of 15mm wide sticky tape, 7m of string, 1 pair of scissors or snips, and the plastic shopping bag these come in.

Conditions

You may use only the materials provided, including the bag, although you do not have to use all of them. The shelter must be capable of covering three team members, one of whom must be lying on the floor as they are assumed to be injured. The occupants do not need to enter the shelter until judging. The shelter must not be supported by the people inside. They must also show that the shelter can remain standing with them inside it but not touching it. (This is to allow them to get some rest and to tend to the injured person.) The shelter must be strong enough to withstand the equivalent of a thin covering of snow, simulated during judging by laying a sack or piece of carpet or similar over the shelter. You will have 30 minutes to build the shelter. It will be judged after building.

It will be judged on

Whether all three occupants can fit into the shelter. Whether they can fit in it without anyone supporting it or touching the sides. Whether the shelter can be totally enclosed (to show it will be wind proof). Whether it can support a weight on the top of the structure.

A sack, a piece of carpet, or similar, will be laid on the top to simulate the even loading of a covering of snow. In the event of several shelters receiving the same score the weight will be increased until only one shelter remains standing.

Scoring Card