Concord Middle School
Applied Technology
2007-2008
Unit Outline
Unit 6 -- Transportation Technologies
This unit requires between four and six classes over a period of three weeks.
This unit will be taught concurrently with and in conjunction with the Physical Science unit on fluid
dynamics. The concluding exercise—a three dimensional, suspended obstacle course—will take
place during the last physical science class of the unit.
Frameworks
Relevant Massachusetts Framework concepts include:
Physical Science
Properties of Matter
1. Differentiate between weight and mass, recognizing that weight is the amount
of gravitational pull on an object.
Determine the weight of a dense object in air and in water. Explain how
the results are related to the different definitions of mass and weight.
2. Differentiate between volume and mass. Define density.
Motion of Objects
11. Explain and give examples of how the motion of an object can be described
by its position, direction of motion, and speed.
12. Graph and interpret distance vs. time graphs for constant speed.
Technology & Engineering
6. Transportation Technologies
Broad Concept: Transportation technologies are systems and devices that move goods
and people from one place to another across or through land, air, water, or space.
6.1 Identify and compare examples of transportation systems and devices that
operate on each of the following: land, air, water, and space.
6.3 Identify and describe three subsystems of a transportation vehicle or device,
i.e., structural, propulsion, guidance, suspension, control, and support.
6.4 Identify and explain lift, drag, friction, thrust, and gravity in a vehicle or
device, e.g., cars, boats, airplanes, rockets.
Overview
This Unit will be taught in conjunction with the Physical Science program where concepts of Fluid
Dynamics will be introduced. It will involve eight to nine Physical Science and three to four
Applied Technology class periods over two weeks.
Educational Objectives: To be able to identify components and systems associates with different
modes of transportation
To identify the forces acting on vehicles and how they are balanced to make vehicles perform
effectively
To understand how different environmental media affect vehicles
Schedule
Day
Topic
1
Transportation and Fluids
Activity
Intro Power Point
Video: Flight w John
Deliverable
None
2
3
Vehicle systems: frame/support
propulsion, guidance, suspension,
control
Forces acting on vehicles
4
5
6
Re-design; re-build
Hot air balloon design
Complete construction
Transportation Challenge
Travolta
Design balloon car
Race balloon cars
Race #2
Start construction
Balloon launch
Activity: The Great Balloon Race
Design spec
Force identification
diagram
Improvement list
Design documents
Concord Middle School
Applied Technology
Unit 6 Transportation Technologies
Transportation Challenge
Background
Transportation technologies are systems and devices that move goods and people from one
place to another across or through land, air, water, or space. Vehicles must be designed to move
efficiently, conserve energy, and maximize the payload being transported. They must also be
designed to handle the forces that act upon them such as lift, gravity, drag, friction, and thrust.
Vehicles are typically designed to incorporate equipment, systems, and subsystems that supply
structure, propulsion, guidance, suspension, control, and support. Prototypes may be designed to
evaluate one or more of these systems while evaluators supply others externally.
Challenge
Working in groups of three or four, you will be provided with a prototype lighter-than-air cargo
vehicle. Your job is to move as much “cargo” as possible through a simulated test track as quickly
as possible. The amount or cargo and the time will be recorded. A numerical score will be
calculated by dividing the amount of cargo by the time.
Propulsion and control will be supplied by streams of air produced by the team members who are
stationed on the outside of the test track.
Begin by examining the test track. Determine how you think the vehicle will respond to conditions
in the track and how to position team members. Once team members are in place, they may not
move for the trial.
Remember to watch, listen, and pay attention to the efforts of teams who precede you. Learn
from their successes and learn more from their mistakes.
Deliverables
For Applied Tech
The team manager should submit one sheet of paper containing
 Names of the team members
 The amount of cargo carried by the vehicle
 Time needed to complete the test
 The score for each trial
For Physical Science
Each student should
 Diagram the test track in the Science Notebook
 Identify all forces acting on the test vehicle
 Predict how the vehicle will respond to each force