Let's create continuous conversations about climate change education: Spreading the Sediment of Science!

Build a Wind-Powered Car

Provided by: Scientific American |Published on: April 27, 2021

Activity - Classroom

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Synopsis

In this project, students will build a sail-car and experiment with sails of different sizes and shapes.

Subjects: Engineering

Authors: Science Buddies

Region: Global

Languages: English

Positives

Students can use their problem-solving skills to find the best shape and size for their sail to help the car move most efficiently.

Prerequisites

The materials can be adjusted to remove anything plastic. For example, the wheels could be made from cardboard instead of a plastic bottle cap and the axle can be made using rolled up paper and tape instead of plastic straws.
Reclaiming cardboard and paper from a recycling bin may be the best choice for finding materials for this project.

Differentiation & Implementation

You can have students work in pairs or groups.
Students can research wind energy and other solutions to climate change as an extension project.

Scientist Notes

Teaching Tips

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Resource Type and Format

All resources can be used for your educational purposes with proper attribution to the content provider.

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