Science Learning Community: Science and Engineering Lesson Plans
Rubber Band Racers
Schradle
July, 14
INFORMATION ABOUT THE LESSON
Grade Level and Subject Area
9th Grade Physical Science
Time Frame
4-5 45 min. class periods
Objectives: Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to:
Use an engineering design process to construct a rubber band car (HS-ETS1-2)
Demonstrate a transfer of energy (HS-PS3-3)
Test and refine their designs (HS-ETS1-2)
Communicate their design process and results (HS-ETS1-2)
Next Generation Science Standards
HS-PS3- Design, build, and refine a device that works within given constraints to convert one form of energy into another form
3.
of energy
Standards for Technological Literacy
STL Standard 9. Students will develop an understanding of engineering design.
Common Core State Standards in Mathematics
MP.2 Reason abstractly and quantitatively
MP.4 Model with mathematics
Common Core State Standards in English and Language Arts
RST.11-12.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts.
Prior Learning
Different types of energy, potential and kinetic. Transfer of energy, conservation of energy.
Materials:
Funded by an Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title IIb Wisconsin Improving Teacher Quality Grant in
Partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Stout
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Science Learning Community: Science and Engineering Lesson Plans
16 in x 16 in piece of corrugated cardboard
4 rubber bands
paperclips
scissors
3 unsharpened pencils
thumb tacks
masking tape
meterstick
[Describe the materials, resources, textbooks, articles, or instructional technologies suggested for this lesson.]
Day 1
Objective: Upon completion of this lesson, students will be able to:
Students will be able to correctly follow the steps of an engineering design method.
Pre-Assessment
Ask the students what are engineers and what do they do?
Procedures
45 min
Discuss who engineers are, how you become one and all
the different kinds of engineers there are.
Introduce the steps of an engineering design method.
Purpose
Introduce the
profession of
engineering
Formative Assessment
Discussion questions responses
Closure
Have the students respond to what they learned today that they didn’t know prior today and
share with their neighbor.
Summative Assessment
Give students examples of the different engineering steps for a certain product and have them
match those example with parts of the process they are an example of.
[Repeat this table for each additional lesson, as needed. To follow the model used by EiE,
consider including a lesson to introduce the context of the engineering problem (lesson one), a
lesson to gather background information on the problem and type of engineering (lesson two), a
lesson to plan solutions and test materials (lesson three), and a lesson for creating and improving
your design (lesson four).]
Funded by an Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title IIb Wisconsin Improving Teacher Quality Grant in
Partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Stout
Page
2
Science Learning Community: Science and Engineering Lesson Plans
Day 2
Objective: Upon completion of this lesson, students will be able to:
Students will be able to complete a hand drawn plan of their rubber band car
Pre-Assessment
Ask the students what drives a car, what are characteristics that need to be considered when
designing a car.
Procedures
45 min
Discussion of pre-assessment
Go over expectations of the rubber band car
Students complete the Ask, Imagine and Plan stages of the
engineering design method
Purpose
Complete the
early stages of
engineering
design method
Formative Assessment
Walking around observing student progress on their plan.
Closure
Have the students write down what was difficult about the planning process and share with
neighbor
Summative Assessment
Does the design plan meet criteria.
Day 3 and 4
Objective: Upon completion of this lesson, students will be able to:
Students will have built their car per their design or made modifications to their design and built
their car to those standards.
Pre-Assessment
Is your plan feasible?
Procedures
2 x 45
min
Build and test car design
Purpose
Completed car
Formative Assessment
Observe the building of the student cars.
Closure
Funded by an Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title IIb Wisconsin Improving Teacher Quality Grant in
Partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Stout
Page
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Science Learning Community: Science and Engineering Lesson Plans
Write down what worked and what didn’t and share with your neighbor.
Summative Assessment
Is the built car the same as what is on the student plan?
Day 5
Objective: Upon completion of this lesson, students will be able to:
Students will test their car and communicate results
Pre-Assessment
How do you think your car will perform and what prior knowledge supports your answer?
Procedures
45 min
Run the car trials
Purpose
Car Trials
Formative Assessment
Casually ask students throughout the trials why one model may be better than another.
Closure
Compare the car that went the farthest and the cars that went the shortest and talk about the
similarities between the successful cars and the unsuccessful cars.
Summative Assessment
Why was your car successful or unsuccessful using your knowledge of energy.
If you could have had access to materials that were different than those provided,
what would your team have requested? Why?
Do you think that engineers have to adapt their original plans during the
construction of systems or products? Why might they?
If you had to do it all over again, how would your planned design change? Why?
What designs or methods did you see other teams try that you thought worked
well?
Do you think you would have been able to complete this project easier if you were
working alone?
Reference:
IEEE as a part of TryEngineering - www.tryengineering.org
Funded by an Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title IIb Wisconsin Improving Teacher Quality Grant in
Partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Stout
Page
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Science Learning Community: Science and Engineering Lesson Plans
Funded by an Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title IIb Wisconsin Improving Teacher Quality Grant in
Partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Stout
Page
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