STEM Engineering, Build Me A Car

School:: Sea Gate Elementary
Subject:: Engineering
Teacher:: Denise Varboncoeur
Students Impacted:: 36
Grade:: 3
Date:: September 5, 2016

Investor

Thank you to the following investor for funding this grant.

Perna-Rose Foundation for Hope - $142.20

Impact to My Classroom

# of Students Impacted: 36

My stduents used what they learned about measurement, forces, and quality of work to build a wooden framed, air-powered car. Their comments included, "The air we blew into the balloons pushed the car forward and the car moved." another student wrote, " I learned that if you try to move the car on a smooth surface it will move faster than on a bumpy surface."

Our "fans" during the race is our 1st grade reading buddies. They also cheer us on!

I have been doing this project for the past 17 years, and upcoming students look forward to the challenge.

I am so grateful each year that I get funded for this project. It is one thing to calculate and solve problems on paper and totally another thing to hold your accomplishments in your hands.

Thank you

Original Grant Overview

Goal

Build an air-powered car using the LINX system. This engineering project will have a final goal of a class race.

What will be done with my students

The students will use the wooden materials from the LINX system to plan, engineer, and build a moving vehicle, powered by air. The students will need to use accurate measuring, and cutting skills while building the wooden frame using a miter box, drilling jig, hand saw and hand drill. These tools are from the original LINX system, and are small tools so that little hands will have success.

Benefits to my students

A culminating performance activity is a car race. This will take place after a two week building process. This engineering project will show mastery in the areas of measurement and Forces and Motion for Science. Quality of work plays a big part in the ultimate success or win of the final race.

Each student will need to keep a journal on their progress throughout this two week activity. They will be stating what was accomplished each day, and what didn't work. The students will also be writing a final step-by step guide as to how to build this vehicle, and a reflection.

Each student will be able to "tweak" their vehicle before the BIG race. Our reading buddies will be our fans.

I have done this project for the past 16 years and the one thing my students remember is this race!

Budget Narrative

20 years ago, I wrote a Builders grant for this amazing kids building system (LINX) . The grant provides the consumable materials so that each child can engineer, build and keep their balloon-powered car.

*** Shipping price was an estimate amount.

Items

#	Item	Cost
1	21334- Wheels	$12.50
2	21334- Wheels	$12.50
3	21334- Wheels	$12.50
4	21658 thin sticks	$9.95
5	21301 framing sticks	$12.25
6	21301 framing sticks	$12.25
7	wooden dowels 20X2.00	$24.00
8	balloons	$5.00
9	21320 - plastic spacers	$11.25
10	shipping	$30.00
	Total:	$142.20

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