AL AIN // Secondary and high school students in Al Ain had the chance to take part in a Battle of the Brains competition yesterday.
The students represented their schools in academic subjects and used their creativity, as well as took rounds in intellectual challenges.
“We wanted to challenge the most gifted and talented children in Al Ain and we wanted students who were incredibly competitive and smart to learn from each other from different schools,” said Morgan Whitfield, a teacher at Al Ain English Speaking School and one of the organisers.
They were divided into teams and were given multiple challenges, and then had to take part in individual challenges.
“Now they get the chance, and I think it pushes them to work with other students. That is really good for them and they get to represent their school which gives them pride,” she added.
She said a lot of schools teach different curriculums and the students had the chance to learn with and from each other.
“They get to meet different people, cultures and languages and that is important.”
The challenges included engineering, where students had to build towers using newspapers, spaghetti, marshmallows and masking tape, all in half an hour.
“Some groups designed Eiffel Towers and others used the Burj Khalifa as inspiration – the tallest structure was over 12 feet high,” said Ms Whitfield.
They also had to solve mathematical problems and puzzles and competitors covered a history timeline of events from 2260 BCE to 2011.
The “Know UAE” station was one of the popular activities, where students had to answer questions about where they live.
Students also had to “construct the perfect paper airplane” using the principles of life and flight.
“Students and teachers alike had fun testing their ingenuity,” Ms Whitfield said.
She said this was the inaugural year of the event, but it will not be the last.
“It was such a huge success that we will be sure to do it next year,” she said.
Among the attendees were teachers and parents, who tried to help the students in the several activities. The students, Ms Whitfield said, rejected the help and were “in control”.
“They said: ‘No, mom, we know how to do it’,” she added.
A total of 150 boys and girls from 15 schools in Al Ain competed in the event.
Results for the Battle of the Brains will be announced at the awards ceremony on Wednesday at Al Ain Mall, one of the event’s sponsors.
The event was organised by the Al Ain Interschool Council.
aalkhoori@thenational.ae