Build + Race Slot Cars

Students will engage in a Slot Car activity to learn about kinetic energy, electrical energy, and energy transfer. Students are divided into groups and given materials to construct their own slot cars. They must design the cars to maintain contact with the copper tape on the track. Once the cars are built, students test them on a smaller section of the track. They observe how the motor converts kinetic energy into electrical energy, propelling the car forward. Students make necessary adjustments to their cars, such as fine-tuning the design, improving stability, and optimizing contact with the copper tape. Emphasis is placed on teamwork, problem-solving, and creativity.

Grades 4-5

Half-Day

Price

This course typically costs between $30 and $60 per student.

Location

These classes are held in Innovation Academy's state-of-the-art classroom at The Garden, or on-site at your location.

Schedule

This course runs for 4 hours. It can also be combined with other courses or activities for a full-day or multi-day event.

Audience

We can typically accommodate 10-50 students for this field trip.

4.1 - The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific and engineering practices by:
- A - asking questions and defining problems
  - identify scientific and non-scientific questions
  - develop hypotheses as cause-and-effect relations
  - define a simple design problem that can be solved through the development of an object, tool, process, or system
- B - planning and carrying out investigations
  - identify variables when planning an investigation
  - collaboratively plan and conduct investigations
  - use tools and/or materials to design and/or build a device that solves a specific problem
  - take metric measurements using appropriate tools
  - measure elapsed time
- C - interpreting, analyzing, and evaluating data
  - organize and represent data in bar graphs and line graphs
  - interpret and analyze data represented in bar graphs and line graphs
  - compare two different representations of the same data (e.g., a set of data displayed on a chart and a graph)
  - analyze data from tests of an object or tool to determine whether it works as intended
- D - constructing and critiquing conclusions and explanations
  - use evidence (i.e., measurements, observations, patterns) to construct or support explanations and to make inferences
- E - developing and using models
  - develop and/or use models to explain natural phenomena
  - identify limitations of models
- F - obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
  - read and comprehend reading-level-appropriate texts and/or other reliable media
  - communicate scientific information, design ideas, and/or solutions with others
5.1 - The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific and engineering practices by:
- A - asking questions and defining problems
  - ask testable questions based on observations and predict reasonable outcomes based on patterns
  - develop hypotheses as cause-and-effect relationship
  - define design problems that can be solved through the development of an object, tool, process, or system
- B - planning and carrying out investigations
  - collaboratively plan and conduct investigations to produce data
  - identify independent variable, dependent variables, and constants
  - determine data that should be collected to answer a testable question
  - take metric measurements using appropriate tools
  - use tools and/or materials to design and/or build a device that solves a specific problem
- C - interpreting, analyzing, and evaluating data
  - represent and analyze data using tables and graphs
  - ·organize simple data sets to reveal patterns that suggest relationships
  - compare and contrast data collected by different groups and discuss similarities and differences in their findings
  - use data to evaluate and refine design solutions
- D - constructing and critiquing conclusions and explanations
  - construct and/or support arguments with evidence, data, and/or a model
  - describe how scientific ideas apply to design solutions
  - generate and compare multiple solutions to problems based on how well they meet the criteria and constraints
- E - developing and using models
  - develop models using an analogy, example, or abstract representation to describe a scientific principle or design solution
  - identify limitations of models
- F - obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
  - read and comprehend reading-level-appropriate texts and/or other reliable media
  - communicate scientific information, design ideas, and/or solutions with others
5.2 - The student will investigate and understand that energy can take many forms. Key ideas include:
- A - energy is the ability to do work or to cause change;
- B - there are many different forms of energy;
- C - energy can be transformed; and
- D - energy is conserved.
5.3 - The student will investigate and understand that there is a relationship between force and energy of moving objects. Key ideas include:
- A - moving objects have kinetic energy;
- B - motion is described by an object’s direction and speed;
- C - changes in motion are related to net force and mass;
- D - when objects collide, the contact forces transfer energy and can change objects’ motion; and
- E - friction is a force that opposes motion.
5.4 - The student will investigate and understand that electricity is transmitted and used in daily life. Key ideas include:
- A - electricity flows easily through conductors but not insulators;
- B - electricity flows through closed circuits;
- C - static electricity can be generated by rubbing certain materials together;
- D - electrical energy can be transformed into radiant, mechanical, and thermal energy; and
- E - a current flowing through a wire creates a magnetic field