Earth
/ Space Science Kit Resources
Motion
and Design: Tips for Teachers
The following Tips for Teachers were generated to better serve
the Elementary teacher s of the Vancouver School District.
If you have any of your own Tips, please send them to me (Kris
Skrutvold at the following email address: kskrutvo@vansd.org)
and I will post them on the Kit Resources web-site. (Currently
being developed)
Kit Needs and Concerns
Make sure kids have the front axle connector at the front
of the yellow connector so the axle does not move
Place the gray connector on back wheels so that they do not fall
off
Need a smooth, flat surface to carry out the lessons and experiments
Lesson 1-2
- Are there enough K'nex to implement the "design a vehicle"
activity where 2 students share a bucket of supplies?
- Are there replacement parts?
There is not enough room to do all tests in the classroom.
Sometimes difficult to keep track of parts.
Lesson 3-5
Lack of clear instructions: Design Challenge
Graph key at bottom should match the order of the tests.
Lesson 6-8
This activity takes a great deal of room. You must find available
space to run tests or do them during a center activity.
Have parent volunteers.
Lesson 9-12
More supplies to insure that students work in pairs.
Use longer tape measure that is retracting to help in testing.
Lesson 12-15
Be certain that you work in groups of 2-3.
Use calculator to figure cost of vehicle.
Time needed in planning.
More space needed.
Kit Modifications
Lesson 1: Designing vehicles: Getting started
Plan exploration time before designing the car to familiarize
students with K'nex.
Photograph all cars after assembly.
Have 2 children per bucket instead of 4.
Lesson 2: Using drawings to record and build
Draw an object from different perspectives
Color code like pieces of the vehicle and have students do the
same. This helps with recognition when building
Lesson 3: Pulling a vehicle: Looking at the force
Record data on a table first. Then create a graph.
Have a discussion on how to use a stop watch.
Discuss "rounding" (math) and whether to use it when
recording seconds.
Have students work in pairs rather than groups of 4.
Adjust recording sheet 3A to match instructions on page 15, Lesson
3.
Lesson 4: Testing the motion of vehicles carrying a load
Copy off Lesson 3 diagram and instruct students to color it
before they put it together
Compare groups who use a push start, a constant push start and
no push start
Lesson 5: Designing vehicles to meet requirements
Lesson 6: Evaluating vehicle design: Looking at rubber band
energy
Create a graph prior to the activity in Lesson 7.
Use a meter stick instead of tape measure in Lesson 7.
Have parent volunteers (3-4) if doing Lesson 7 as a whole class.
Lesson 7: Testing the effects of rubber band energy
Windows on Science has a segment on the Lunar Module on the
Moon's surface...show it after lesson 5
Challenge students to design a vehicle that could carry varied
amounts of cargo in a given time
Graphing segments may require extensive review and two or more
days
Lesson 8: Evaluating vehicle design: Looking at friction
Lesson 9: Designing and building a vehicle with a sail
Students may need assistance in following technical drawing.
Have a model already constructed to bring out.
Students should work in pairs.
Lesson 10: Testing the effects of air resistance on a vehicle's
motion
Lesson 11: Building a propeller-driven vehicle
Lesson 12: Analyzing the motion and design of a propeller-driven
vehicle
Lesson 13: Looking at cost
Lesson 14: Planning our final design challenge
Lesson 15: Refining our design
Lesson 16: Presenting
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