Gravity Cars
Sixth grade science teachers, Linda Peebles and Jennifer Stanley, challenged their students at Woodgate Intermediate School to design vehicles that could be powered by gravity. The students worked in teams to research, design, build, test, and improve their prototype cars. An incline plane was used to test the vehicles while students used their iPads to document the experience. Using the Numbers Spreadsheet Application students recorded the distance their vehicle traveled and the amount of time it stayed in motion. The data was then used to calculate the actual speed of the gravity cars. Students also used their iPads to develop professional looking final reports that included images, graphed data, and their findings. “The students loved the mix of hands on experience and using digital tools to collect their data. They really took ownership of their designs,” said Mrs. Stanley. Mrs. Peebles commented that the students not only learned about gravity, speed, and motion but they also had a “wonderful real world learning experience.”