With all the great work fourth graders have done in their transportation unit, there was one last challenge to try...to build a car powered by the wind. Using only paper, straws, tape, paper clips and life-savers, fourth graders quickly discovered it was much more challenging to build a working car than they thought!
We discussed what would make the cars travel farther, focusing on what would catch the most wind, and also on how to reduce the amount of friction their cars experienced. We also realized the importance of planning out our designs, as there the materials were not given out in an unlimited supply. These are REAL problems that engineers face daily in their work.
We discussed what would make the cars travel farther, focusing on what would catch the most wind, and also on how to reduce the amount of friction their cars experienced. We also realized the importance of planning out our designs, as there the materials were not given out in an unlimited supply. These are REAL problems that engineers face daily in their work.