A Journey through Levels Two-Four

Technology incorporated: Digital Camera, Stopwatch, LCD projector and data projector to project video clips

This was an after school activity, and our first year participating.  All sixth grade science students were invited to apply for the 30 available slots.  Sixteen students participated (8 pairs).  Our first two sessions were on consecutive days, the remaining were weekly.

Session 1

Showed students video clips of past Solar Sprint competitions http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ms08mbAwqBo

Discussed ideas for construction; showed the car I'd constructed in a JSS workshop at the Science Museum of Virginais & showed designs from previous competitions  JSS Pictures & Clips.ppt (all pictures taken from internet)

Handed out "Introduction to Building a Solar Car" and asked students to read for next session

Handed each pair a composition book of graph paper for Journal

Session 2

Investigation of Gear Ratios and Pulleys in 3 stations; students recorded results in Journals

Used investigations 5-1, 5-2, and 5-3 at the bottom of the webpage http://eagle.csd49.org/middle/jss/Course_Transmissions.htm

Investigation using magnetic gears:

Last 15 minutes: Whole Group Discussion  What is the best combination for speed?  Raw speed versus force needed to start.

Session 3

Construction of cars

guest speaker: transmission specialist

Sessions 4-6

Planned to focus on solar panel investigations in session 4, but students were consumed with investigations of their own.  They kept tweaking their cars and retesting, so we let them go at this point.