This pack supports fair, consistent marking of the Egg-Drop Design Challenge. It contains a model exemplar, an annotated marking guide for each rubric criterion, a worked on-balance judgement, and notes for marking adjusted responses. It is for teacher and moderation use — not shown to students beforehand.
Model exemplar response (a "High" answer)
Part A — materials chosen (model):
| Material | Property | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Bubble wrap | Soft / cushioning | Squashes on impact and soaks up the landing force so the shell doesn't crack. |
| Cotton wool | Soft / springy | Wraps around the egg to hold it still and cushion it from all sides. |
| Cardboard box | Strong / stiff | Holds the shape and stops the padding squashing flat too soon. |
| Tape | Strong / sticky | Holds the whole design together so it doesn't fall apart on impact. |
Part B — design (model). A labelled drawing: egg in the centre, wrapped in cotton wool, surrounded by bubble wrap, inside a cardboard box, taped shut. Each layer labelled with its material.
Part C — safety (model). "Risk: dropping the box could hit someone below. Manage it: check the drop zone is clear and only drop when the teacher says."
Part D — test & reflect (model). "My egg survived. The bubble wrap worked best because it is soft and squashed on landing, which cushioned the egg. Next time I would add more padding on the bottom, because that is the side that hit first — this would cushion the landing even more."
Comprehensive marking guide — applying the four criteria
1. Choosing materials by their properties (35 — highest weight)
| Band | What you should see |
|---|---|
| High (5–6) | Each material clearly justified by a relevant property (cushioning, strength, flexibility). |
| Sound (3–4) | Suitable materials chosen; most linked to a property. |
| Limited (1–2) | Materials chosen with little or no link to their properties. |
Look for / common issues: the giveaway of a Limited response is a list of materials with no "because". This criterion carries the most weight because "properties influence use" is the mandated understanding — protect it in your marking.
2. Design, labelling and safety (30)
| Band | What you should see |
|---|---|
| High (5–6) | Clear, labelled design showing each material and where it goes, plus a named risk with a way to manage it. |
| Sound (3–4) | Labelled design and a named risk. |
| Limited (1–2) | Basic diagram with few labels. |
3. Testing, evaluating and improving (20)
| Band | What you should see |
|---|---|
| High (5–6) | Tests the design, evaluates which property worked, and proposes a sensible, property-based improvement. |
| Sound (3–4) | Tests, evaluates and suggests an improvement. |
| Limited (1–2) | Describes the result with little evaluation. |
Look for: High reflections connect the result back to a property ("the bubble wrap worked because it is soft") — not just "it worked".
4. Communication and scientific vocabulary (15)
| Band | What you should see |
|---|---|
| High (3) | Clear ideas using correct terms (material, property, strength, flexible, absorbent, force) throughout. |
| Sound (2) | Clear with some scientific vocabulary. |
| Limited (1) | Unclear or little scientific vocabulary. |
Worked on-balance judgement
Marking adjusted (ABLEWA) responses
Where a student used the additional-support approach (choosing real materials, a photo of the build, scribed or symbol-choice answers), mark the science evidence. Choosing the cushioning materials and indicating "soft" is valid evidence for the Properties criterion at an emerging level; a yes/no reflection plus a "more / less padding" choice is valid for Testing. Record adjustments beside the result; see the lesson's additional-support approach for Stage A–D descriptors.