Context

This project was created during CI 3543 under the advisement of Jeff Goodman, a professor at Appalachian State University.  As a class, we got into groups and created cars out of heavy construction paper, wooden rods, tape or glue, and CD's for the wheels.  The goal of making this car was to see which group in the class had the fastest and more efficient car.  After we were done creating the cars, we went into the hallway and placed them on ramps.  We took data of the distance in which our cars traveled as compared to the ramp height.  Once we were done taking the data and experimenting with our cars, we graphed the data and made an excel spreadsheet of our results.

Impact

This artifact has shown us as future teachers great ways to incorporate science, math, and art into one project.  We learned how to create a car using only a few materials, how to use our critical thinking skills to get it to roll as fast as we could, and also how use this data we gathered and display it in graphs and tables for us to understand.  It is important our students learn how to integrate technology into lives, and so we should start by teaching them how to while they are in school.

Alignment

I have met NETS Standard II, Indicator A, D, and E because by doing this project I have learned how to apply technology - enhanced environments in my lessons for diverse learners.  This project requires my students to use technology to complete their project.  They must take the data and information they collect and use it in a Excel spreadsheet to create graphs and charts.  This project allows diverse learners to be able to comprehend and apply this lesson.

I have met NETS Standard IV, Indicator B, because in this lesson the students must use technology to analyze their data and to interpret the results.  They will use it to communicate their findings to the rest of the class.  When they enter their data into the Excel spreadsheet, they will also create a line graph to show the results of the experiments with their vehicles.

I have met DPI Standard 3, Indicator 2 and its details because in this project we used measurement to figure out how far our cars traveled.  We also learned about the sources and forms of energy that our car may have, such as kinetic, heat, and potential energy.  We had to understand these concepts before we were able to understand what was happening with our cars.

I have met Standard 15, Indicator 1 and its details, because this project allowed us to use real-world applications which would allow diverse, underrepresented students to connect with what was being taught. In this lesson the real-world application was creating the car and then getting its data from the experiment. This project allows underrepresented students to assume leadership roles because they are able to be in charge of their own cars. They have the power to decide how to create it, and then how they want to test its potential distance and speed.