Time Needed: 40 minutes

Lesson Overview
This lesson is about go-carts and students should pay attention to
resistance and weight distribution when designing and testing their go-cart.
They will then test them and come together as a class to discuss what ideas
and considerations whe had when building these and why. It almost fits into
the lesson the mentor teacher is teaching but we will have skipped a
lesson. The students will be in pairs of two, in 12 groups but will come
together as a class to discuss ideas and challenges.
Materials
Materials I need: 1 lesson plan, 1 assessment sheet, early autos story.
Materials each group of students need:1 bag of materials for 1 car for a
group of 2, 1 inventory sheet, 2 pairs of scissors, 1 piece of cardboard.
Class materials will be pliers, wires, string, and tape.
Preparation
There will be a material station and desks will stay in the same place but
students may move to carpet or floor. At the material station students can
pick up their bag and use class materials. Students will be in groups of two.
One getter will get materials from me and return them and one starter
will inventory materials before and after lesson. Partners will be responsible
for cleaning up.
Safety
Basic things like do not break or throw materials.
Lesson

1 Title: I-AIM Stage & Function

Discuss carts Question-Establish a question and Elicit
student ideas about the question.

Step-by-step directions for teaching. Include what students do and

what the teacher says/does.
1. Teacher will ask students to describe a car and discuss some attributes
and the number of ways it can be constructed.
2. Students should mention that carts need wheels and a body, but that the
number, size, and position of the wheels can vary like the body.

Assessment:
In student talk I will be looking for ideas about shape and size of body and
wheels along with the weight of them. Hopefully they will mention
resistance and weight distribution and how all these thing affect the cart.

Accommodations/Adaptations:
Students with special needs may need to see the questions written on the
board and have written instructions.

2 Title: I-AIM Stage & Function

Pose the go-cart problem Explore/Investigate- explore phenomena
and explain teams and to look for patterns.
materials.

Step-by-step directions for teaching. Include what students do and

what the teacher says/does.
1. Tell students that unlike previous lessons where there were unknowns
like black boxes, they will be able to design and test go-carts that can roll
down a ramp and possibly some distance across the floor.
2. I will then explain design and how people who design things are
considered engineers and design means two things. It is a product or plan
to make something and it can be a drawing, picture, or description. And it
is also the process of figuring out how to construct something, which
involves thinking, imagining, trying things out, and using materials wisely.
3. Allow students to contribute to this idea.
4. I will then assign partners and explain materials and how to inventory.
5. Then allow students to form teams and one student will get materials
and the other will make sure everything is there.
6. Then begin designing.

Assessment:
I will be looking to see if students are listening and can repeat what I have
said back to me. They will then get materials and make sure everything is
accounted for so I will be checking that one person from each group gets
materials and the other checks them. Then watch them begin.

Accommodations/Adaptations:
Have someone hand out materials if they cannot or for visual impairments i
could have one students check materials and make sure the correct ones
and amount are in bag.

3 Title: I-AIM Stage & Function

Mini-convention and testing Explain- students explain patterns

Step-by-step directions for teaching. Include what students do and

what the teacher says/does.
1. I will be walking around to observe students and offer encouragement
and if groups are struggling I will have them walk around and observe
other groups for ideas.
2. I will let students know that engineers may be visiting to get ideas and
that they are to explain their model to them. Or whole class will do a mini-
convention to share ideas if many students are struggling.
3. When the first few groups are finished I will have them share one design
idea incorporated into their go-cart and one problem they had, this allows
other groups to share solutions.
4. I will then give the groups who are ready to test a ramp so they can test
and revise.

Assessment:
I will be looking to see if students are using a design and test approach by
observing and will be looking to see how the use materials to see if they
are noticing distribution of weight and resistance has an effect of motion of
the cart.

Accommodations/Adaptations: help students that struggle with

assembling, and show students how to put the ramp together. Wider ramps
for larger cars, discussing ideas verbally or written on board.
What accommodations are necessary for students with special needs? How
will you support students who are second language learners? Use the 9
accommodations reference sheet for suggestions.

4 Title: I-AIM Stage & Function

Testing and Comparing Reflect- reflect on changes in ideas

Step-by-step directions for teaching. Include what students do and

what the teacher says/does.
1. Students will se if cart successfully rolls down ramp and across floor
2. We will compare designs and groups will discuss them and difficulties
they had.
3. Then I will asks teams to inventory their materials and place carts and
everything in bag. They will then bring bags to material station.
4. Students will do this then sit on the rug so we can discuss vocabulary
like weight distribution, resistance, design, and engineer. And discuss which
aspects of these carts that works best.
5. I will then read a story called Early Autos.

Assessment:
Students will write ideas and observations in their science notebooks which
will later be collected by teacher. I will be looking to see if students are
 sharing ideas and their understanding of the discussion topics. I could also
do a exit ticket that would be to write down some things you need to
consider when designing a go cart and why?

Accommodations/Adaptations:
Allow students to verbalize responses.

Student Science Toolkits

Presenting a driving question will allow students to share ideas and
elicit the ideas of their peers.
Teacher will connect to student funds of knowledge getting them to think
about things that move similar to the way a go-kart moves (cars, hot wheels,
wagon, etc.)
Lesson Artifacts
Go cart inventory sheets with materials.
Bibliography/Sources
FOSS models and designs investigation 3: Go-Carts. Yes i built upon the
districts lesson from the gray boxes.
Individual Contribution
1. Explain how you used the curriculum materials analysis and
guidance from your mentor teacher to plan this lesson.
ChristinaIusedthebookitcamewithtodesignthelessonandmakemodificationsfortheclassandtime
andspokewithmyteacherabouttheideasandtimeandsheagreed.
Cassie
Tyler
2. Summarize how this lesson plan fits scientists science and I-
AIM.
Christinathisallowsthestudentstodiscusswhattheyknowaboutcartsthenallowsthemtobeginand
createnewexperiencesandpatterns,thencomeupwithananswerastowhatdoesanddoesnotworkwhen
buildingacartandwhy.
Cassie
Tyler
3. Explain how you and your partner planned this lesson together
and your individual contribution to it. (partner plans only).
Christinawealldiscussedideaswhencompletingthelessontemplateandassessingcurriculummaterials
andIhelpedwriteindividualpartsofthelessonplan,likecertainactivities.
Cassie
Tyler