The Nerdy Derby was a big success again this year! Katie White and Jaymes Dec spent weeks planning a series of small experiments and design challenges to help students discover the forces and variables that affect the speed of a car on a track. Class VI students explored concepts including friction, air resistance, and momentum. They also built rubber band powered vehicles and tinkered with different wheel materials and ways to attach axles to their vehicles. They spent three days imagining, designing, and testing vehicles to race down the track. With Classes V and VIII cheering them on, the students competed in the second annual Nerdy Derby Championships. This year we added a few categories to the competition: in addition to the Fastest Car, we held competitions for the Slowest Car, “King of the Hill” (the car that could most consistently stop at the top of the hill), and Best in Show (the team whose perseverance and determination most exemplifies the spirit of the Nerdy Derby).

Here are the champions: