Gargamalian Orbs

Fun, Funky, Fungineering!

Each week, in Mike's new Fungineering class, we give kids a mission - an engineering challenge. In this week's episode the "fungineers" are challenged to build a model of structure that could protect peaceful aliens (the Tranquilians) from the evil transforming orbs of the not-so-peaceful Gargamalians!

 

Here is the script for the mission...

Greetings Fungineers!

I am Agent B.

My true identity must remain secret for reasons of national security.

We need your help.

We have intercepted a transmission from the planet Armichon 4 in the Trimanis system.

The people of Armichon 4 are peaceful.

They have just been attacked by a hostile alien army of Gargamalians.

They sent us this picture of their attackers before being almost wiped out.

These are the Gargamalians.

In the beginning of the attack the Gargamalians simply parked their ships in their lower atmosphere and released hundreds of mysterious orbs.

When these orbs dropped on Armichon 4 at first nothing happened.

But every person on Armichon 4 who was touched by an orb was transformed into a Gargamalian.

They eventually transformed all the peaceful people on Armichon 4 into Gargamalians.

Now they are leaving Armichon 4.

They are heading to our peaceful friends on the planet Tranquility.

As you know the Tranquilians have no enemies.

They live out in the lush open fields.

They have no means of protection.

Your mission – if you choose to accept it…

is to develop a model of protective structures to protect them from the orbs of the Gargamalians.

The Tranquilians have sheets of wood.

You can use these index cards to represent their sheets of wood.

They have very strong hand braided rope.

Use this string to represent their rope.

They have many Rubber Trees growing on Tranquility.

Use these straws to represent the Rubber Trees.

They collect a sticky film that grows on the leaves of their plants.

You can use tape to represent this film.

And finally, they have lots of sharp sticks.

You can use these tacks for the sticks.

Every team gets just 2 index cards, 2 arms lengths of string, 1 arms length of tape, 2 straws, and 5 tacks.

You have 40 minutes to construct a model of structures that can protect the Tranquilians from the evil Gargamalian orbs.

Good luck Fungineers.

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