LEARN NC

11 Car tests

By Roxanne Moses

Provided by Kenan Fellows Program.

two cars, one yellow and one red, on a racetrack

At last students will put their car designs to the test in this final lesson.

In this culminating lesson, student will test their car designs for safety and either speed or distance. They will evaluate their success at working as a team and consider what changes they’d make if they did the project all over again.

Learning outcomes

Students will:

  • Test and evaluate their final car designs
  • Consider what approaches they might use next time and what changes they would make
  • Assess their success working as a team

Teacher planning

Time required

One class period

Materials needed

  • completed team cars
  • eggs
  • sheets of thin, smooth plastic
  • track
  • ramp

Pre-activities

Set up the ramp and/or track for the student-designed cars. Tape plastic, smooth and tight, on the floor for the egg competition.

Activities

Testing the safety of the egg-passenger

  1. Go over the rules for egg competition:
    • There will be no practice runs.
    • After each safety test, teams will have thirty seconds to remove the egg from the car and examine it (the egg) for any breaks or cracks.
    • Once the egg has a break or any crack, the car can no longer participate in testing.
    • Designs will be tested until each egg has broken or cracked.
    • Each new round of testing will start with an increase in the height of the ramp.
    • Groups are allowed to make quick repairs between runs to the harness but may not use any additional supplies.
  2. Pass out an egg to each team. Give students thirty seconds to check the egg for any cracks and to secure the egg inside the car.
  3. With the ramp set at a relatively low level, six inches or so, begin the testing with Team 1. Keep things moving along briskly. Any cracks or breaks in the egg disqualifies its team.
  4. After the first round, set the ramp higher and have the remaining teams continue testing.
  5. Raise the height of the ramp at the beginning of each round until only one team remains: they are the “winner.”

Testing for speed and distance

  1. Beginning with Team One, students should prepare to test their self-propelled cars on the track. Before letting their cars go, they should announce if they designed the car for speed or distance. Record results for both speed and distance.
  2. Continue the process for each team and tally the results.

Assessment

Groups will hand in their completed On Track Learning packets that they received at the beginning of this unit. Evaluate these packets for thoroughness. More important than the actual results of the car tests are student efforts at working as a team, following instructions, and attempting to incorporate the information they learned in the expert interviews.

North Carolina curriculum alignment

Science (2005)

Grade 8

  • Goal 1: The learner will design and conduct investigations to demonstrate an understanding of scientific inquiry.
    • Objective 1.01: Identify and create questions and hypotheses that can be answered through scientific investigations.
    • Objective 1.07: Prepare models and/or computer simulations to:
      • Test hypotheses.
      • Evaluate how data fit.
    • Objective 1.10: Analyze and evaluate information from a scientifically literate viewpoint by reading, hearing, and/or viewing:
      • Scientific text.
      • Articles.
      • Events in the popular press.
  • Goal 2: The learner will demonstrate an understanding of technological design.
    • Objective 2.02: Use information systems to:
      • Identify scientific needs, human needs, or problems that are subject to technological solution.
      • Locate resources to obtain and test ideas.
    • Objective 2.03: Evaluate technological designs for:
      • Application of scientific principles.
      • Risks and benefits.
      • Constraints of design.
      • Consistent testing protocols.
  • Next: