'Puff Mobiles' Get Students Excited About Engineering

More than a hundred budding fourth- and fifth-grade engineers constructed "puff mobiles" out of Lifesaver candies, two paperclips, sheets of paper, straws and tape, then raced their creations in hopes they would win a remote-controlled car Tuesday.

The Science in the School Day event brought Redondo Beach Mayor Michael Gin and representatives from DuPont and the U.S. Conference of Mayors to Birney Elementary School to help students build their puff mobiles.

DuPont field engineer Adam Glintz said constructing the puff mobiles gave students the chance to learn some basic principles of science and engineering.

"An important part of science is testing what you make," Glintz said as he watched students holding practice races.

Gin said he hoped the event would inspire students to become engineers.

"It's critical that we get our younger generation excited about science and technology," he said.

Building the puff mobiles is "a great hands-on exercise," Gin said.

Birney Elementary School Principal Jacqueline O'Sullivan agreed.

"This is true learning," she said. "They're totally engaged."

After the students finished building the puff mobiles, the children raced them in heats across the floor by blowing into the cars' sails. The winners of each heat raced each other until the race was down to two participants: fourth-grader Mark Rosales and fifth-grader Kali Achong.

Kali won the final race, earning a large remote-controlled car. Mark, who finished second, received a smaller model car.

The secret to winning? A good sail.

"You just got to blow it a few times, and it will go really fast," Mark said.

Alta Vista, Beryl, Jefferson, Madison, Tulita and Washington elementary schools also hosted puff mobile races at their own Science in the School Day events.