The Arizona STEM Acceleration Project

“Protect the Passenger”

Protect the Passenger

A Secondary (8-12) STEM Lesson

Hannah McKolay

October 2023

Notes for Teachers

I use this lesson as an introduction to Energy and Energy Transfer in physics. Students understand basic kinematics, but I generally conduct this lesson before projectile motion, but it is a fun project that can be easily modified to fit various contexts. I extend it over a longer period, but it could easily be a 1-2 day lesson.

This lesson is an extension of the first lesson I submitted titled “Safe Travels: Energy in Car Crashes.” It can be used with or without the previous lesson. I have used both lessons based on my schedule!

List of Materials

• Eggs (on test day)
• Plastic eggs for testing (optional)
• Packets with instructions*
• Ramps (I used whatever I could find! The material doesn’t matter as long as it is smooth (you could even use the lid of a plastic bin!)
• Plastic sheets/ tarp to clean up mess

*Note - this lesson can be simplified and teachers can provide materials/ limit project requirements. I discuss my projects with families early in the year, communicating resources for supplies should there be any concerns.

Standards

AZ Science Standard

• HS.P4u1.8
• Engage in argument from evidence that the net change of energy in a system is always equal to the total energy exchanged between the system and the surroundings.

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Technology

• Innovative Designer:
• Design, create, and test a vehicle to protect an egg.
• Creative Communicator:
• Team Collaboration: Work effectively in teams to design, build, and test the vehicles, fostering collaboration and communication.

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Engineering

• Apply Science to Engineering
• Apply engineering principles such as force, acceleration, and velocity to optimize their vehicle designs and build an understanding of modern vehicle safety mechanisms.

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Mathematics

• Measurement & Data (MD)
• Apply kinematic equations to calculate the velocity, acceleration, and distance traveled by their vehicles.

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ELA

• Writing
• Document research findings and results in an analytical research paper.

Objective(s):

• Understand the Concept of Momentum: Gain a clear understanding of the concept of momentum and its importance in physics by applying kinematic equations to calculate the velocity, acceleration, and distance traveled by their vehicles.

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• Design and Build a Vehicle: Develop and construct a vehicle using given materials and constraints that will protect an egg during a crash.

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• Test and Analyze: Conduct controlled crash tests to evaluate the effectiveness of their vehicle designs in protecting the egg to identify and address design flaws and make improvements based on test results.

Agenda

Day 1 (~20 minutes)

Day 2 (1 day)

Day 3 (1 day)

Day 4 (1 day)

Day 5-6 (1-2 days)

Day 7 (1 day)

This project is conducted over about 5 weeks in my course. There is a detailed timeline provided in the packet with specific dates, but these can easily be modified. The following slide details the plan for each day.

Agenda Cont.

Day 1

• Introduce project, rubric, and give students time to plan.

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Days 2-3

• ~1-2 weeks after project introduction
• Days 2 and 3 are work days. Students are assessed on their level of planning and preparedness.

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Day 4

• Testing - students should have a fully constructed draft project. They are given time to plan and prepare for the final test day. They are highly encouraged to test their designs and adjust their design in response to data.

Agenda Cont.

Days 5-6

• ~1 week after build/ testing
• Test day! Students test their final designs.
• Weight of vehicle is collected with and without the egg
• Distance and Velocity data is collected. Average of 3 trials per vehicle (to calculate momentum)
• Photo taken of final design, measurements taken to ensure alignment with rubric.
• Conduct crash tests and collect data.

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Day 7

• Reports - I give students 1 day in class to work on their reports. This is generally not enough time to complete the report, so I make the final due date ~1 week after the final test date.

Intro/Driving Question/Opening

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Introductions

• Momentum in Motion: Begin with a short video or demonstration of a high-speed collision.
• Historical Perspective: Introduce the concept of crash testing and vehicle safety by discussing the history of crash test dummies and safety standards.The lesson “Safe Travels: Energy Transfer in Car Crashes” could also be used!
• Real-World Relevance: Share a news article or story about a recent car crash, emphasizing the importance of vehicle safety and the role of engineers in protecting lives.
• Project: Show students an example of what they'll be doing in the lesson – building vehicles to protect eggs in crash tests. Videos from prior years are suggested!

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Driving Questions

• How can we design a vehicle to protect an egg during a crash?
• What is momentum, and how does it relate to vehicle safety?
• Can engineering principles help us create safer vehicles?
• What are the real-world applications of momentum in vehicle design?
• How can we apply scientific knowledge to save lives in accidents?

Hands-on Activity Instructions

• Packet
• Packet - Editable
• Stations Cards

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Hands-on Activity

Please ignore the mess, I forgot to take pictures until after all the messy testing!

Station 1 - Dimensions

I set up rulers for them to take pictures of their cars to ensure they have all the correct measures prior to testing.

Project Examples

Station 2 - Velocity

I taped a measuring tape on the ground and provided the angle for students to calculate displacement and velocity.

Hands-on Activity

Stations 5

Station 2 - Velocity

Stations 3-4

Hands-on Activity

Stations 3-5, All Testing

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Again, please ignore the mess. The back materials are all student materials that were left here for them their builds.

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Assessment

• Rubric
• Rubric - Editable

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Differentiation

There are so many awesome ways to build off this lab, starting with a conversation on car crashes, collisions, energy, and momentum!

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EXTENSIONS NOT INCLUDED, BUT SUGGESTED

These are corrections I will make for next year :)

• APA Formatting Materials for report formatting (I teach freshman and do this activity early in the year, so I am not strict on formatting)
• Extensions related to collisions, depending on how far you are with your classes.
• Provide graph paper for the scaled drawing and additional examples/ scale drawing resources.
• Peer Review

Remediation

Extension/Enrichment

• Assignment is broken down into multiple sections, chunked into digestible pieces with assessment throughout the process.
• Multiple options to incorporate feedback - you could even consider allowing students to fix their vehicles and retest after evaluating performance.