Motion and Design

We started our unit on Motion and Design last week.  The idea behind this unit is to advance the students' knowledge of HOW the design of an object can allow it to have motion.  Of course we all know that cars and bicycles move, but I don't think we all know why or how.  This first lesson was about brainstorming some things that we already know about Motion and Design.  We created a chart with this headline!  Next, we created a chart with the headline, What we want to know about Motion and Design.  I was trying to prompt the students to relate back to what they already knew and branch out with some more detailed questions about why things move!  Check out some of their responses!

So we have the date in our Science Notebooks because we are acting as "inventors" and/or "Scientists."  We have to know the date that we started our projects so that we can refer back to the writings and drawings!

What we know about the motion and design of vehicles

What we want to know about the motion and design of vehicles!

We then created our science notebooks in which we wrote down our results of the charts above!  We dated our charts and observations noting that Scientists and Inventors create logging journals to document what they are doing.

Next we started creating our vehicles.  The class is divided into groups of 3.  Each team is to design a "car" using KNEX pieces.  Each group has the same amount of pieces and the same directions.  Students were only told that they had to create a vehicle that could travel at least 39 inches.  They were not given any directions about how and what needed to be on the vehicle.  I wanted the students to use what we talked about during our first lesson and focus on those concepts to create a vehicle using only the materials that they had.  It was great to see some of the students use their charts and observations for reference.  Each group had a total of 20 minutes to complete this task!  Check out some of their vehicle creations and their testing of how far their vehicles "flew!"

Each group had the same pieces and and outline of how to use the pieces!

Each team worked great together!

Each group had a stop watch so that they stayed under or right at their 20 minute mark! Most groups took less than 20 minutes to create their vehicles!

Each group had an "inventory" list with their buckets of pieces as well as a "how-to" use tip sheet of how the parts "fit" together!

Trying to figure out how to put the wheels on!

This group created their vehicle the fastest!  Check out their finished product down at the bottom!

Working together as a team!

Using connectors and rods to fit the wheels into their vehicles!

Creating a frame

Frame with wheels, they added more onto their vehicles

"Testing" how far their vehicles will travel.  The minimum distance was at least 39 inches!

This vehicle went more than 39 inches!  It was actually double that!  Students receive a measuring tape in their bucket of pieces!  Students used these to measure their distances and check to see if they met the minimum requirement of 39 inches!

Almost Finished!

Testing distance and length

Finished vehicle

Finished vehicle, less pieces than the one above and this one actually went farther ;)

Lots of details in this one!

They are so proud of their creation!

Finishing touches!

Our next lesson will consist of drawing our vehicles using a technical format.  Can't wait to see how our drawings turn out!  Stay tuned for all the pictures!