Step 1. Investigate
the Opportunity: (50 minutes)
In this stage, groups of
students will be introduced to the challenge. They will
have an opportunity to investigate samples of several
different surfaces that their coaster car will be tested
on. The goal is to design a wheel for the coaster car that
will improve the performance (speed) of the coaster car on
the given surface by increasing/decreasing the friction.
Students will begin by investigating the performance
of the standard wooden wheels on their chosen surface and
getting an average speed for the standard coaster car.
(Note: other standards of success may be established at
this point such as smoothness of ride, how far it travels
once off the ramp, etc. )
(Note: Ideally each group would
have an assembled coaster car that has already been tested
on a flat track and down a ramp. See materials above for
what is needed to build a coaster car. )
1. Assign
students into small groups of three or four. Give
them the challenge: The goal is to design a wheel for the
coaster car that will improve the performance (speed) of
the coaster car on the given surface by
increasing/decreasing the friction.
2. Each
group should be assigned one alternate surface -
carpet, corrugated cardboard, smooth surface, small uniform
tiles - to investigate. They may take photos, draw
sketches, and/or describe this surface by recording this in
their notebooks.
3. Students should test their “
normal” wooden wheel according to the standard of
success you have established such as speed (see above for
other ideas). Students should make careful record of the
data they collect throughout this investigation. Both
qualitative and quantitative observations should be made
and many trials should be performed to create a dependable
baseline. This should be recorded in the students’
notebooks. All tracks are returned to the teacher.
(In this version, students are given very limited access to
their assigned track material until a later stage. )
Step 2. Brainstorm Ideas: (30 minutes plus
home extension time)
1. Individuals students will
brainstorm how to increase (or decrease) the friction of
their wheels based on their given surface.
2. They will
begin by collecting materials from home to incorporate into
their wheel designs.
3. Sketches should be made of each
wheel design along with predictions of how each wheel
design will increase/decrease the friction as well as how
this might affect the performance of the coaster car on the
given ramp material. (This should build on a prior lesson
on rolling friction. )
Step 3. Edit + Develop Ideas:
(50 minutes)
1. Students will compare sketches of
their preliminary wheel designs within their group and
begin creating mock-ups or models of their wheels.
Step 4.
Re-frame the Problem: (50 minutes)
1. The students
will now have access to small samples of the modified track
surfaces. They will test their wheel designs on their
assigned track material and further edit their designs
preparing samples to share with another group. (Note:
Students are not given enough material to create a whole
track at this point. The small sample should serve to
further inform their design changes. )
Step 5. Share +
Evaluate your Process and Ideas: (20 minutes)
1.
Student groups will share their wheel examples with another
group, visually demonstrating how they predict their car
will perform on the modified track. Groups will collaborate
to provide suggestions on how to improve the performance of
the Coaster Car with its modified wheels on the new track
material.
Step 6. Finalize the Solution: (30 minutes) and
Test: (50 minutes)
1. Students will finalize their
modified wheels and attach these to their coaster cars.
They will also create a prediction of the car’ s
performance with its new wheels on the new track material
using the vocabulary from the previous friction lesson.
Step 7. Articulate
the Solution and Process: (one to two 50 minute
periods)
1. Students should now have sufficient data
to create a report on the results of their design process.
Each group should create a presentation board including
(but not limited to):
- Starting data (wood
wheels on new track)
- Evidence of the group’ s
process while designing their wheels
- Their coaster car
with modified wheels
- Group’ s prediction of
performance with rationale
- Final results (modified
wheels on new track)
- Concluding statement
This
can be shared with others as a gallery walk or presentation
style.