I want to share what my science classes have been doing as a final culminating project. My students just finished learning about Motion & Design. They’ve analyzed and understood force, motion, friction, acceleration, and gravity. They’ve explored designing their own Kinex vehicle, following a blueprint to create a given vehicle, and sketching these vehicles on graph paper.
So, I decided, as a culminating activity for this unit of study, my science classes would design an edible car made out of vegetables and race them. My students have been working so hard this marking period on questioning, researching, problem solving, critical thinking, and working collaboratively. This project is a fantastic way for my students to combine, build, apply concepts, and synthesize their learning. These cars must be made completely out of edible vegetable materials except for the axles and wheels. A parent letter was sent home explaining their project and how the parent was responsible for buying the vegetable(s). My students were so excited to begin that you could hear and feel their emotions bubbling.
My students were given some criteria for these vegetable creations:
· Must be constructed from 1-3 different vegetables
· Must still have the 1-3 different vegetables attached when it stops
· Must have two axles with wheels that roll. The car may not slide down the ramp
· The distance the car travels will be measured from the bottom of the ramp and onward.
· Must be constructed from 1-3 different vegetables
· Must still have the 1-3 different vegetables attached when it stops
· Must have two axles with wheels that roll. The car may not slide down the ramp
· The distance the car travels will be measured from the bottom of the ramp and onward.
We’ve started our “Veggie Car 2014” races this Tuesday. Wow! What creativity I’ve witnessed with these vegetable car designs! For the most part, these veggie cars have movable wheels and all the vegetables have stayed on!
The experience my students have gained has been priceless! I’ve got some beginner engineers in my 4th grade science classes! I’ve been impressed!