Regina Vermina Cars Rationale

Context: I did this project for Jeff Goodman's Science class in the spring of 2008. I worked along with my partner, Jenny Hoffman, to create a car that could carry a family of worms safely and quickly. We used various materials to make this invention such as gummy worms, cds, poster board, wooden rods, and hot glue. We rolled our cars down a ramp set at different heights and then timed our car until it stopped rolling, and then measured how far it traveled. Afterwards, we charted and graphed our information.

Impact: This is an excellent experiment to use with children of all ages in many various subject areas and it is very hands-on. This is a great way to teach science concepts that I feel are usually taught in a very dry way. It would engage my students and actually have them up moving instead of just reading about enery or graphing. I could have my students use this to learn about energy as well as using it for a math lesson to learn about graphing data and working with equations to interpret your data. Students are also able to work in pairs for this project.

Alignment:

NCDPI Standard 2 Indicator 2: I have met NCDPI Standard 2 Indicator 2 by drawing out the sketches of my car and having to measure everything to make sure it work properly. I also measured how far my car went at each height of the ramp.

NCDPI Standard 2 Indicator 4: I have met Standard 2 Indicator 4 by understanding how to collect and interpret my data.

NCDPI Standard 3 Indicator 2: I have met Standard 3 Indicator 2 by understanding how physical science works, and knowing that my car was pulled down the ramp by gravitational potential energy, and that my breakfast gave me energy, to give the car energy, which transferred energy into the floor and created heat.

NCDPI Standard 9 Indicator 4: I have met Standard 9 Indicator 4 by incorporating mathematical concepts into my science lessons.

NCDPI Standard 9 Indicator 5: I have met Standard 9 Indicator 5 by collecting my data and then organizing it to create tables and graphs of all the information I found to be true about my car.

NCDPI Standard 15 Indicator 1: I have met Standard 15 Indicator 1 by using only the materials presented to me to construct a car that integrates both math and science concepts where children learn about energy, and then have to graph their results and make calculations.