Electric Vehicle Design Challenge (Grade 6)

Grade: Six

Topic: Electricity and Electrical Devices

Introduction/Context: This is an open-ended project where students design and make an electric vehicle that will transform electrical energy into a form of energy that makes their device move. The activity begins with an analysis of the automotive industry and environmental problems associated with that industry and the products produced (e.g., decline in number of vehicles sold, fossil fuel crisis, and pollution). Students are asked to make a better product that addresses some of these issues.

Prototype (model):

• must be run by electricity
• must be controlled by a switch
• must travel 1 meter under its own power

OCTE Conference 2010