Quick Look 
- Grade Level:
- 11 (9 – 12)
- Time Required:
- 2 hours 30 minutes
(three 50-minute classes)
- Group Size:
- 3
- Subject Areas:
-
Science and Technology -
NGSS Performance Expectations:
HS-ETS1-2 HS-ETS1-3 HS-PS3-3
Summary
Students design, build and test small-sized vehicle prototypes that transfer various types of potential energy into motion. To complete the Go Public phase of the legacy cycle, students demonstrate their understanding of how potential energy may be transferred into kinetic energy.Engineering Connection
Alternative energy sources, particularly within the realm of transportation, have become a hot topic within the scientific and engineering communities. It seems that everyone would like to have available vehicles that provide safe, efficient and reliable methods of capturing a form of energy and transferring it to kinetic energy. Currently available methods are gas-electric hybrids, gas-hydraulic fluid hybrids, electric, and compressed gas. Throughout the unit, students apply the scientific concepts they learn to the real-world problem of designing and implementing energy sources for transportation.
Learning Objectives
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Apply the law of conservation of energy physical problems in one dimension.
- Describe the engineering design process.
Educational Standards
Each TeachEngineering lesson or activity is correlated to one or more K-12 science,
technology, engineering or math (STEM) educational standards.
All 100,000+ K-12 STEM standards covered in TeachEngineering are collected, maintained and packaged by the Achievement Standards Network (ASN),
a project of D2L (www.achievementstandards.org).
In the ASN, standards are hierarchically structured: first by source; e.g., by state; within source by type; e.g., science or mathematics;
within type by subtype, then by grade, etc.
Each TeachEngineering lesson or activity is correlated to one or more K-12 science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) educational standards.
All 100,000+ K-12 STEM standards covered in TeachEngineering are collected, maintained and packaged by the Achievement Standards Network (ASN), a project of D2L (www.achievementstandards.org).
In the ASN, standards are hierarchically structured: first by source; e.g., by state; within source by type; e.g., science or mathematics; within type by subtype, then by grade, etc.
NGSS: Next Generation Science Standards - Science
| NGSS Performance Expectation | ||
|---|---|---|
|
HS-ETS1-2. Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering. (Grades 9 - 12) Do you agree with this alignment? |
||
| Click to view other curriculum aligned to this Performance Expectation | ||
| This activity focuses on the following Three Dimensional Learning aspects of NGSS: | ||
| Science & Engineering Practices | Disciplinary Core Ideas | Crosscutting Concepts |
| Design a solution to a complex real-world problem, based on scientific knowledge, student-generated sources of evidence, prioritized criteria, and tradeoff considerations. Alignment agreement: | Criteria may need to be broken down into simpler ones that can be approached systematically, and decisions about the priority of certain criteria over others (trade-offs) may be needed. Alignment agreement: | |
| NGSS Performance Expectation | ||
|---|---|---|
|
HS-ETS1-3. Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics, as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts. (Grades 9 - 12) Do you agree with this alignment? |
||
| Click to view other curriculum aligned to this Performance Expectation | ||
| This activity focuses on the following Three Dimensional Learning aspects of NGSS: | ||
| Science & Engineering Practices | Disciplinary Core Ideas | Crosscutting Concepts |
| Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem, based on scientific knowledge, student-generated sources of evidence, prioritized criteria, and tradeoff considerations. Alignment agreement: | When evaluating solutions it is important to take into account a range of constraints including cost, safety, reliability and aesthetics and to consider social, cultural and environmental impacts. Alignment agreement: | New technologies can have deep impacts on society and the environment, including some that were not anticipated. Analysis of costs and benefits is a critical aspect of decisions about technology. Alignment agreement: |
| NGSS Performance Expectation | ||
|---|---|---|
|
HS-PS3-3. Design, build, and refine a device that works within given constraints to convert one form of energy into another form of energy. (Grades 9 - 12) Do you agree with this alignment? |
||
| Click to view other curriculum aligned to this Performance Expectation | ||
| This activity focuses on the following Three Dimensional Learning aspects of NGSS: | ||
| Science & Engineering Practices | Disciplinary Core Ideas | Crosscutting Concepts |
| Design, evaluate, and/or refine a solution to a complex real-world problem, based on scientific knowledge, student-generated sources of evidence, prioritized criteria, and tradeoff considerations. Alignment agreement: | At the macroscopic scale, energy manifests itself in multiple ways, such as in motion, sound, light, and thermal energy. Alignment agreement: Although energy cannot be destroyed, it can be converted to less useful forms—for example, to thermal energy in the surrounding environment.Alignment agreement: Criteria and constraints also include satisfying any requirements set by society, such as taking issues of risk mitigation into account, and they should be quantified to the extent possible and stated in such a way that one can tell if a given design meets them.Alignment agreement: | Energy cannot be created or destroyed—it only moves between one place and another place, between objects and/or fields, or between systems. Alignment agreement: Modern civilization depends on major technological systems. Engineers continuously modify these technological systems by applying scientific knowledge and engineering design practices to increase benefits while decreasing costs and risks.Alignment agreement: |
International Technology and Engineering Educators Association - Technology
-
Students will develop an understanding of the attributes of design.
(Grades
K -
12)
More Details
Do you agree with this alignment?
-
Students will develop an understanding of the role of troubleshooting, research and development, invention and innovation, and experimentation in problem solving.
(Grades
K -
12)
More Details
Do you agree with this alignment?
-
Students will develop an understanding of engineering design.
(Grades
K -
12)
More Details
Do you agree with this alignment?
-
Students will develop abilities to apply the design process.
(Grades
K -
12)
More Details
Do you agree with this alignment?
-
Energy cannot be created nor destroyed; however, it can be converted from one form to another.
(Grades
9 -
12)
More Details
Do you agree with this alignment?
-
Cite examples of the criteria and constraints of a product or system and how they affect the final design.
(Grades
9 -
12)
More Details
Do you agree with this alignment?
-
Illustrate principles, elements, and factors of design.
(Grades
9 -
12)
More Details
Do you agree with this alignment?
-
Determine the best approach by evaluating the purpose of the design.
(Grades
9 -
12)
More Details
Do you agree with this alignment?
State Standards
National Science Education Standards - Science
-
Physical Science
(Grades
K -
12)
More Details
Do you agree with this alignment?
-
Science and Technology
(Grades
K -
12)
More Details
Do you agree with this alignment?
Tennessee - Science
-
Differentiate among the various forms of energy.
(Grades
9 -
12)
More Details
Do you agree with this alignment?
Materials List
Each group needs 2 rolls of pennies to serve as vehicle payload. For the rest of the materials, students must decide and find the other parts of their small-sized prototype vehicles as homework.
Worksheets and Attachments
Visit [www.teachengineering.org/activities/view/van_hybrid_design_activity4] to print or download.Pre-Req Knowledge
Students should be familari with the concepts of Hooke's law and the conservation of energy.
Introduction/Motivation
Remember back to the first lesson from this unit when I said that you would be building your our hybrid cars for Nissan? Now that we have learned about the different types of energy, and how they are converted and conserved, and we have learned a little more about hybrid cars, you are better equipped to design your own cars! Let's do it.
Procedure
Divide the class into groups of three or four students each.
Overview: Each group will design, build, and present a proposal for a vehicle energy-storage mechanism that translates stored energy into forward motion. Any type of potential energy is acceptable for the proposal except chemical, nuclear and RC (remote controlled). All energy sources and peripherals must be on board the vehicle.
Engineering requirements: Your prototype small-scaled vehicles must be able to carry 250 g (2 rolls of pennies) a length of 5 meters. You will be graded based on the distance traveled, how close to the target you stop, how quickly you can carry the 250 g mass 5 meters (power), and your team presentation (3-5 minutes, must include performance graphs).
Refer to the steps of the engineering design process to guide you in your groups when you are designing and testing your vehicles:
- Ask to identify needs and constraints.
- Research the problem.
- Imagine possible solutions.
- Plan by selecting the best solution.
- Create a prototype.
- Test the design.
- Improve the design.
The problem has been defined for them in this activity, and they have spent this unit researching the problem. Now, it's time to begin by imagining solutions. Students communicate their designs through their vehicle performance, presentations and brochures.
Encourage the students to think of the best way to convert potential energy to kinetic energy with the materials available. As you float around the room, ask students to explain their thought process and how they are using the engineering design process to create their prototypes.
Assessment
Rubric: This open-ended, design-based activity incorporates engineering design concepts as well as marketing concepts. For grading, refer to the attached example rubric, modifying it for what is important to the teacher. Give students the rubric at the start of the activity.
Formal/Informal: Incorporate both formal and informal assessment methods. Take into account vehicle performance during the derby. Consider students' ability to answer questions posed by the teacher regarding the performance and cost during the proposal stage. Informal questioning gives students a chance to apply and exhibit their understanding of the objectives and concepts in ways other than tests and quizzes.
Brochures: As an additional assessment, require groups to create brochures that include performance data and cost analyses as part of their presentations.
Subscribe
Get the inside scoop on all things TeachEngineering such as new site features, curriculum updates, video releases, and more by signing up for our newsletter!More Curriculum Like This
Students gain perspective on the intended purpose of hydraulic accumulators and why they might be the next best innovation for hybrid passenger vehicles. They learn about how hydraulic accumulators and hydraulic systems function, specifically how they conserve energy by capturing braking energy usua...
Through four lessons and four hands-on associated activities, this unit provides a way to teach the overarching concept of energy as it relates to both kinetic and potential energy. Within these topics, students are exposed to gravitational potential, spring potential, the Carnot engine, temperature...
Looking at transportation and the environment, students learn that some human-made creations, such as vehicles, can harm the natural environment. They also learn about alternative fuels and vehicles designed by engineers to minimize pollution. The associated hands-on activity gives students a chance...
Students learn and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of renewable and non-renewable energy sources. They also learn about our nation's electric power grid and what it means for a residential home to be "off the grid."
Copyright
© 2013 by Regents of the University of Colorado; original © 2006 Vanderbilt UniversityContributors
Joel Daniel (funded by the NSF-funded Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power at the University of Minnesota); Megan JohnstonSupporting Program
VU Bioengineering RET Program, School of Engineering, Vanderbilt UniversityAcknowledgements
The contents of this digital library curriculum were developed under National Science Foundation RET grant nos. 0338092 and 0742871. However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policies of the NSF, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government.
Last modified: September 18, 2020
User Comments & Tips