Build a Wind-Powered Car

Build a Wind-Powered Car

Learning Objectives

At the end of the lesson you will be able to understand the basic principles of forces and engineering design. At the end of the lesson you will be able to design and construct a simple wind-powered car using everyday materials. At the end of the lesson you will be able to experiment with different car designs to optimize for speed and performance.

What do you already know about wind-powered vehicles?

Overview of the wind-powered car project

Students will engage in an engineering challenge to design and build a toy car that is propelled by wind.

Materials needed for constructing a wind-powered car

Corrugated cardboard, construction paper, wooden skewers, plastic straws, bottle caps, tape, scissors, and a hobby knife.

Step-by-step instructions for building the car

Students will follow step-by-step instructions to assemble their car, ensuring their car's axles are parallel, its wheels are not too wobbly, and it can roll smoothly.

The engineering design process and experimentation with the car design

Students will learn about forces and engineering design as they test their creation in front of a fan and explore modifications to improve its speed and stability.

Definition List

Forces: Pushes or pulls that can cause an object to move, stop, or change direction. Engineering design: A systematic and iterative approach to designing objects, systems, or processes that aims to meet specific criteria and constraints. Axle: A rod or spindle passing through the center of a wheel or group of wheels, allowing them to rotate. Mast: A vertical pole on a ship or boat to which sails are attached; in this context, a similar structure on the car to support the sail. Wobbly: Unsteady or shaky, often used to describe an object that is not securely fixed in place or a wheel that does not turn smoothly.

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.