TIME: Two 70-minute class periods
MATERIALS:
- Textbook
- Disposable materials such as fast food trays, cans, used CDs, empty plastic bottles, spools, straws, tape, hot glue gun and glue.
(Note: Tell students not to use items that are sharp or breakable.)
INTRODUCTION/PREPARATION/ANTICIPATORY SET:
Overview: Students will design a car using disposable materials. Students will use these cars to investigate the relationship between force of gravity, mass of objects and the distance between objects.
Technology connections: The teacher will take digital pictures of students’ cars and students on race day. The teacher will construct a portfolio using the pictures taken from the car derby.
Background information: This activity is used after students have mastered the understanding of mass, force and acceleration. Students must have prior knowledge of recyclable objects in order to construct their cars. Students must also have been introduced to statistics and measurement prior to activity. Students will construct a graph after the car derby, so must be familiar with the different types of graphs they may choose to use.
ACTIVITY:
Lesson Procedures:
Students are given a rubric to create a car made of any disposable or recyclable materials. They are to imagine that they are car designers and create a fast car by applying the principles of mass, force and acceleration. These cars will be constructed with various materials such as food trays, cans, empty plastic bottles etc. Students’ designs can not be larger than a shoe box.
Teacher will allow students to investigate the distance their car rolls by using a wood ramp designed by the teacher. This will be accomplished during one 70-minute class period. Students will measure the distance their cars roll and record data to be used to construct a graph in their math class.
Cars are displayed for classmates viewing.
EVALUATION/ASSESSMENT:
- Car Derby Rubric
- Oral Discussion
- Question and answer session on how cars could have been improved to roll more freely.
GRADE
LEVEL EXPECTATIONS AND STANDARDS/BENCHMARKS:
Louisiana 8th Grade Science GLEs:
GLE-5 Define gravity and describe the relationship among the force of
gravity, the mass of objects and the distance between objects (PS-M-B2)
GLE-6 Predict how the gravitational attraction between two masses will
increase or decrease when changes are made in the masses or in the distance
between the objects. (PS-M-B2)
GLE-7 Explain the relationships among force, mass, and acceleration (PS-M-B2)
Louisiana Science Standards/Benchmarks – Grades 5-8:
SI-M-A1 Identifing questions that can be used to design a scientific
investigation.
SI-M-A2 Designing and conducting a scientific investigation.
SI-M-A3 Using mathematics and appropriate tools and techniques to gather,
analyze, and interpret data.
PS-M-B1 Describing and graphing the motions of objects.
PS-M-B5 Understanding that unbalanced forces will cause changes in the
speed or direction of object’s motions.
Louisiana Ed Technology
Content Standards – Grades 5-8
H Use technology tools (multimedia authorizing, writing tools, digital
camera, drawing tools and web tools) to gather information for problem
solving, communication, collaborative writing and publishing to create
products for various audiences.
Louisiana Visual Arts Content Standards/Benchmarks:
VA-CE-M1 Demonstrate art methods and techniques in visual representations
based on research of imagery.
VA-AP-M1 Use elements and principals of design and expanded art vocabulary
for responding to the aesthetic qualities of various works.
MODIFICATIONS/ACCOMODATIONS:
Oral explanations of assignment.
Repeated directions to meet the needs of my learning disabled students.
Peer tutors to help my special needs students.
RESOURCES:
Prentice Hall Science Explorer Textbook
Internet searches for construction of cars.
TEACHER'S REFLECTION:
Students’thoroughly enjoyed this activity. All students participated
and were actively involved, especially my special needs students. As
a culmination of the lesson, an awards ceremony was conducted. Awards
were presented for distance, design, paint jobs, most creative, and most
edible. The teacher designed trophies (recycled from the previous school
years and redesigned to reflect the car derby) to present to the students.
GALLERY
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