Challenge 3:
Design of a Gliding Toy
Suggested Grade Level: 8
Suggested Length: 8 weeks
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Description:
The Design Experience Challenge 3 encourages students, teachers, professionals, and parents to participate together in an exciting learning process. This challenge introduces students to the excitement of learning math, science, engineering and technology concepts in the context of an authentic engineering design experience. The challenge is supported by a series of closely integrated, multi-disciplinary learning activities in science, mathematics, technology education, social studies and language arts.

Gliding Toy Challenge (Grade 8)
Mobility Press, Inc. wants to publish a book of designs for gliding toys that children of ages 8 to 12 can build with assistance from an adult. Learning begins when students receive a letter from Mobility Press inviting them to submit a manuscript for this book, including drawings and plans for building and operating the gliders. Each student design team investigates different glider designs, tests their designs, and develops prototypes for inclusion in the book. The challenge culminates in a book-signing event where each design team presents its prototype and the class presents its manuscript to Mobility Press "representatives" and members of the local community.

Engineering Design Experience
Students work together in engineering design teams, as a team of teachers leads them through a six-phase design process:

• Set Goals
• Build Knowledge
• Design
• Build and Test
• Finalize the Model
• Present

Curriculum Content
The science activities form the core of the experience, but all teachers on the team assume leadership roles. Students become engaged in an intensive exploration of hands-on materials as they investigate the relationship between force and motion, the effects of weight and lift on a glider, data analysis and manipulation, and the importance of understanding consumer demands. They learn to create design briefs, sketches and models, and are eventually challenged to communicate their findings to a specified audience.

Education Standards
The challenge embraces the direction of national and state standards in science and mathematics education. This program conforms with both the National Research Council standards to promote the education of students to develop products and solutions to problems using technological design, and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics standards that emphasize teaching students to see mathematical connections to the real-world through mathematical thinking, modeling, and problem solving.

Problem-solving skills and career orientation emphasized in the school-to-work initiative receive special attention. In addition, this program correlates with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) criteria in science, mathematics and technology.

Challenge 3 Materials
Components consist of a teacher's kit and classroom materials.

Teacher's kit contains

A starter set of classroom materials (enough for 27 students) contains:

A World in Motion is a product of the Society of Automotive Engineers Foundation