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Posted January 9th, 2009 by admin

Motion and Design

Author: Carol Swink
Level: Elementary School
Content Area: Science, Technology, Engineering

Lesson 9: Evaluating Vehicle Design: Looking at Friction

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Activities: 
  1. SCIENCE NOTEBOOK: Students create and complete two columns in their notebooks: What We Know about Friction and What We Want to Find Out about Friction.
  2. Share with the class and write ideas on the board.
  3. Have students rub their hands together. Brainstorm and discuss every day events that are related to and/or involve friction.
  4. Students will be observing the following design features related to friction: (a) wheels and tan hub connectors, (b) tires, and (c) frame and crossbars. Remind students that the investigation questions provided on the cards in 8-A are ideas. They can use those ideas or create their own ideas to explore.
  5. SCIENCE NOTEBOOK:
    1. Students write the investigation question for each design feature researched (see step 4).
    2. Underneath the investigation question, students complete handout 8-A. Cut out around the handout and glue the handout into the science notebook.
    3. After all handouts are glued in, students write a conclusion about friction.
  6. Share investigation findings with the class.
  7. Discussion questions:
    1. Is there anything on your vehicle that rubs together? (tires against the frame, wheels against the axle)
    2. What can this rubbing do to the motion of your vehicle? (slows it down, takes away energy available to vehicle, creates wasteful friction)
    3. What vehicle design features help reduce the amount of rubbing between the wheels and the vehicle’s axle and frame? (tan hub connectors, crossbars)
    4. What vehicle design features increase the friction between the floor or work surface and the wheels? (tires)
    5. How does this rubbing influence your vehicle’s motion? (creates useful friction, helps it move)
  8. SCIENCE NOTEBOOK: Students complete the LOL from student sharing. The LOL may also include a content blast.