inSTEP Lesson Plan Template
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Component
Balloon Racers
Title & Credits
Kristen Cole, LaTisha Barham, James Farrow, Aaron Myers
Major
Understanding
Kinetic energy and Potential energy
Target
Grade/Subject
4th and 5th grade
Objectives
Students will be able to create a balloon powered car made of house hold materials.
Component
Standards of
Learning: Math &
Science
Math: Measuring distance and averages
Standards:
Engineering &
Technology
Engineering: Building a car
Time
20 min.
Materials
1 box of crayons
Science: using wind power to make potential and kinetic energy and simple machines
Technology: Green energy
8 pairs of scissors
8 rolls of tape
Tape measure
Sharpie
Contents that goes in 1 bag (make 15 bags)
1 soda can or water bottle
2 pipe cleaners
1 straw
1 binder clip
1 close pin
4 pasta wheels
2 cute skewers
2 balloons
Inquiry
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inSTEP Lesson Plan Template
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Component
Engage Anticipatory Set
Hold up a blown up balloon. What is this balloon doing? Does it have energy while sitting in my hand? Drop
the balloon the ground and ask the student what made the balloon drop? What is energy? Introduce the
terms energy, kinetic, and potential at this time.
3 min.
Explore - Experience
Phenomena
5 min.
Explain - Concept
Development
5 min.
Tell the kids a story about the rover on mars “we are in big trouble the mars robot has been broken by a
meteor. Now the rover can’t collect any soil or rocks to bring back to earth. We have to create a car the will
propel on its own to go save the rover and bring it back home!” Now we split the kids up by counting 1,2,
and 3. We give the kids constraints that they cant move the car by pushing it. They have to use the ballon
to make it move forward.
We will have them stop building their cars and explain potential and kinetic energy. “What is energy?”
“Does anyone know what potential and kinetic energy is?” If anyone knows ask them to explain what it is
to the class. “What type of energy does something have when it is staying still?” What energy does
something have when it is moving?”
Have three volunteers come up to the poster board. Each volunteer will find the matching definition to a
term and them a matching picture to that same term.
Elaborate Consolidate &
Expand Concepts
Practice. Kids will be able to go back and tweet their cars using the knowledge they just learned. Kids can
start using cars to see if they work. We will ask the groups what happens when their balloon isn’t blown up
very much and what will happen when it is blown up a lot. (2 min. to tweak)
7 min.
Extension.
Kids will have a contest to see which car goes the farthest. Each group will have two trys and they will
mark their farthest distance. Then students will use a ruler to measure out the distance that their car
traveled. (5 min. for contest)
Evaluate - Closure &
Assessment
We will evaluate during contest to see if they used the knowledge we gave them and applied it to their car.
Engineering
Component
Identify Need,
Problem,
Specifications,
Constraints
Build a car that is propelled on its own. You may only use the materials given to you. You may not push the
car to make it move
Brainstorm Solution
Kids will be given materials and are allowed to brainstorm to group. Need to figure out what will propel the
car. Understanding that the balloon is what will give the car energy.
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inSTEP Lesson Plan Template
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Construct a
Prototype
Kids will build the car in their groups. This is where they might have mistakes and will need to troubleshoot
out loud to find solutions.
Test and Evaluate
We will explain what energy is and tell them the difference between potential and kinetic. The kids will be
able to find out if their design works by knowing more knowledge about energy and how to get their car to
go farther and faster.
Re-Design
Kids are given time after understanding energy to tweak their cars to work better.
Communicate
Teachers will go around to groups asking how they are going to get their car the farthest. “What happens
when balloon isn’t blown up a lot?” What happens when the balloon is blown up a lot?” “How did you get
your tires to stay on?”
Evaluate
Make sure the groups created a car that propelled on its own using a balloon. Also by seeing if the kids
listened to what we had talked about and applied it to their cars/
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