Constructing A Car Ramp

Our students have spent some time investigating how cars fly.  They have watched videos of Monster Truck races and jumps, and used snow and their classroom toys to construct ramps to fly cars from.  

These were some of the materials students were
invited to use to construct their ramps.

Ms. Marrella and I divided our students into small groups.  We asked them to work together to construct a ramp that would allow a toy car to fly.  They were invited to choose and use a variety of materials. 

First, students in their groups worked together to design their ramps.  Then they presented their designs to the class.

"We're going to put some egg cartons and
boxes together.  Then we're going to
put a water bottle on the ramp."
Presentation by: E. L.

"We put a bottle. We put a box beside the
bottle. Put a car on top of the cardboard."
Presentation by: J. P.

"It's a trampoline. You put a car on top to
make it jump." Presentation by: S. E.

"Cut a piece of wood, put a ramp on top
and put a car on top."
Presentation by: M. R.

"This is the water bottle. This is the
egg carton. The ramp is made of iron."
Presentation by: N. C.

After their presentations, each group selected materials and began constructing their ramps.  Students were challenged to design a functioning ramp.  This required students to test their ramps with a toy car.  Some groups learned that they needed to reinforce the base of their ramps in order to avoid collapsing. 

Each group presented their ramp construction to the class. 

"We put bottles on cardboard, glue and tape.
Then it (the cars) will jump on the trampoline (bottles)."
Presentation by: A. M.

"We used cardboard, tape and cartons.
We taped a long board and a tiny one together."
Presentation by: G. V.

"We used cardboard, paper and quilts and tape.
The bottle helps it (car) start. The egg carton
(under the ramp) helps it stand" Presentation by: A. V.

"We used cardboard, tape and BINGO dabbers
and a bottle.  The bottle helps it (car) slide."
Presentation by: K. V.

"We put a bell. It goes 'Ding, ding, ding' so
it (car) knows where to go." Presentation by: M. C.

Reflecting Thoughts

Ms. Marrella and I wanted our students to use this opportunity to work together and solve a variety of problems that may arise.  For example, one group accidentally spilled a whole bottle of glue.  Though it was much harder for me, Ms. Marrella and I waited for the students to notice and figure out how to clean it up.  We also noticed that most groups experienced difficulty cutting pieces of tape until one group solved this problem by using scissors.  In another group, the ramp fell flat when they did their test run.  This problem was solved by using egg cartons to strengthen the ramp. 

In addition to problem solving, Ms. Marrella and I also wanted our students to experience team work.  In one group, a student motivated his team by chanting, "Lets go team! We can do it!"  We were really proud to see our students cheer the other teams in genuine excitement when they presented their ramps to the class.

As a wrap up to this activity, Ms. Marrella and I asked our students to think about their experiences. They were invited to share their thoughts.  Here is what they said...

M. B. "It was so much fun!"

G. V. "You have to build it high so it can jump high and hit the trees."

M. C. "You have to work together just like a team."

M. R. "There has to be an elevator for the car to get to the top."

J. P.  "It's important to make it strong so it (car) can go fast!"

S. E. "We have to share so no one is sad."

A. M. "I like my team."

How Do Cars Fly?

Our Winter Inquiry came to an end with students racing their toy cars inside the school and in the snow. This experience prompted some students to wonder about how cars could fly?  To be honest, Ms. Marrella and I were a bit hesitant to add this wonder to our Wonder Wall.  After all, flying cars didn't seem to make much sense.  We asked our students to explain where they had seen cars fly.  Excitedly, they told us about flying monster trucks and a cartoon movie called, Cars.  With all the excitement and interest surrounding this question, we had to form a group and investigate. 

The first thing we did was find an appropriate video on You Tube that showcased cars flying.  We asked the students to look closely at the video and identify what made the cars fly.  After watching the video (a few times - they couldn't get enough), the students figured out that it was a combination of high speed and ramps that allowed the cars in the video to fly.  We decided to explore this a bit further by attempting to construct our own ramps. 

Our investigation group took a few toy monster trucks outside to see if we could create a ramp in the snow. 

Outside, the students found a small hill.  As they began to smooth the surface with their gloves, they uncovered an icy portion.  Though the cars were able to travel smoothly on the icy surface compared to the snowy surface, the students couldn't get their monster trucks to fly.  Though we were a bit disappointed that we couldn't get our trucks to fly in the snow, WE DIDN'T GIVE UP! 

Inside the classroom, Ms. Marrella and I invited the students to work either independently or in small groups, and choose materials to construct ramps.  Here is what our students came up with. 

This investigation required students to pose a question, make predictions, select materials, and make observations during their exploration. 

Reflecting Thoughts 

The process of investigation would not have taken place without the original question, "How do cars fly?"  The question did seem a bit strange to Ms. Marrella and I, however rather than dismissing the question because WE didn't understand it, we asked our students to explain it further.  Our investigation in the snow was both exciting and disappointing.  The students were excited to uncover an icy patch that allowed their trucks to moved easily, though they realized that the snow stopped their trucks from gaining enough speed, thus flying wasn't possible. This ended up being a good lesson in problem solving for our students.  They learned that rather than giving up, they could just change the materials they were working with.  Once in the classroom, we asked our students to select materials independently without our guidance.  The purpose of this was to have students test a variety of materials in different ways.  Ms. Marrella and I knew that some materials would work better than others, but it was up to the students to figure that out on their own through trial and error.  Constructing the ramps required students to use and practice their communication skills.  In learning to negotiate with each other regarding the placement of materials, it was inevitable that small arguments would arise.  Rather than stepping in to help students solve these problems, Ms. Marrella and I watched as our students worked things out independently.  We observed that some students were fair in their problem solving, while other students weren't.  This informed Ms. Marrella and I that a bit more direct teaching about problem solving would benefit our students.   Finally, students were definitely creative in terms of the different types of ramps they constructed and the materials they used.  In the end, the investigation group presented their ramp constructions to the rest of the class.