Academically gifted fifth-graders from across Rowan County took part in a day of experimentation, observation and team building at Horizons Unlimited Thursday.
Challenge Day included a challenge course of six stations led by AIG teachers from Rowan-Salisbury elementary schools.
Students used wacky walkers to learn about energy transfer. They were asked to determine the number of rubber band turns it took to move the walker 30 feet.
They also took part in tree-top olympics ó a station where students measured the height of a tree using a trundle wheel.
The invisible maze station helped students discover patterns and the search and rescue station was a team building activity.
Before challenge day, students created a technical design in their classrooms to ship a potato chip through the U.S. Mail without breaking it.
Students unpacked their chip boxes at Horizons Unlimited and discovered that 12 of the 19 chips made it through the mail safely.
Cleveland, Enochville, Faith, Granite Quarry, Landis, Millbridge, Morgan, Mount Ulla, Overton, Rockwell and Woodleaf elementary schools participated Thursday.
Bostian, China Grove, Hurley, Hanford-Dole, Isenberg, Knollwood, Koontz and North elementary schools will participate in challenge day today.