Έτοιμοι για δράση;
Σχετικό υλικό
Πόροι
Materials: balloon, skewers, straws, rubber bands, card, board, paper, (optional: nozzle, Knexx sprockets, Knexx axles, bottle caps). Equipment: scissors, glue, tape, ruler, pencil, painter's tape, duct tape, (optional: craft knife, glue gun, drawing compass).
Προετοιμασία
Build examples to improve your own understanding of potential issues for the students, put basic materials kit together (one for each group), adjust the classroom layout so that there are workspaces for 3/4 students per group, space to test cars (e.g., hallway), table with materials, supervised table for glue gun/craft knife.
Στόχοι, μηνύματα, έννοιες
Συγεκεκριμένοι στόχοι
- To learn about forward motion by building a car.
- To reflect on their builds and those of others.
- To analyse what they see and draw conclusions.
Συγκεκριμένα μηνύματα
- Learning through doing is a good way of understanding phenomena.
- Analysis and evaluation deepens understanding.
- Failure is a valuable part of the experimentation process and improves understanding.
Βασικοί όροι
- Forward motion
- Aerodynamics
- Resistance
- Iterative design
Πρακτικές και Δεξιότητες
Πρακτικές STEM
- Ανάλυση και ερμηνεία δεδομένων
- Αιτιολόγηση και σχεδιασμός λύσεων
- Τεκμηριωμένη υπεράσπιση επιχειρηματολογίας
- Άντληση, αξιολόγηση και επικοινωνία πληροφοριών
- Διατύπωση ερωτημάτων και προσδιορισμός προβλημάτων
- Προετοιμασία και διεξαγωγή έρευνας
Προσωπικές δεξιότητες
- Αντιμετώπιση της αβεβαιότητας
- Εκμάθηση μέσω της αποτυχίας στο πλαίσιο της εκπαίδευσης
- Ομαδικό πνεύμα και συνεργασία
Δεξιότητες διαχείρισης
- Προσχεδιασμός
- Αξιοποίηση πόρων
Δράση
step 1
Introduce the activity:
- Presentation about aerodynamics, the force of air in a balloon (balloon engine).
- Cite examples: cycling against headwinds (students make themselves small), cyclists in time trials (futuristic aerodynamic helmet), cars designed in wind tunnels) describe examples orally, no visual examples
step 2
Explain the assignment - Make a car, consider aerodynamics, space for the balloon engine on a platform (aerodynamics and the shape of a balloon don't necessarily match, it’s a challenge). There are different challenges you can test the car design with – which car goes furthest, which goes straightest, which car goes the fastest. You can experiment with different challenges; they will each require different adjustments to the design.
step 3
Students then start by sketching ideas on paper to develop their thoughts independently
step 4
Show and discuss the materials available to make the cars. What is it? More importantly, what can it be? (Don’t hand them out yet).
step 5
In groups, students will discuss sketches and combine designs, producing one joint design on paper. They then make a list of the materials needed and steps to take to make their design
step 6
Hand out kit bag of materials (additional materials can be collected as needed). To support them in gathering materials from ‘everywhere’ (having an open-mindset), several material table ‘hubs’ can be constructed. This allows students to walk around which facilitates interaction between groups, initiating discussion and collaboration. Cover health and safety considerations for equipment such as hot glue and craft knives.
step 7
Starting construction, exploring materials, tools and different solutions.
- After building the first prototype (before testing it) plenary - try to predict what will happen and why.
- Test the designs, try them out, to identify what actually happened and why? Did it do what was predicted?
step 8
In working groups, adjust design and improve, test again and improve.
- Each group will then update the class on their progress and explain the process they used in the design, so that they can teach each other, give each other feedback and tips.
- Final adjustments will be made and then presented through a demonstration.
step 9
The design will be presented by each group to include how it’s made, how it works, what materials were used, what choices were made, and what problems were identified and solved. As students don’t always understand all the skills they have used to accomplish the assignment, name the skills they used explicitly and give positive feedback.