MMS Tech Ed

Information

Your team must design and build a Mouse Trap Powered Vehicle that will travel the farthest in a competition. Your car will be powered by the energy supplied by one mousetrap. You may use any materials available to build your design.

To solve this problem, you must use the design process. Use the "Design Process Problem Worksheet" found on the Tech Ed website. Save it to the your Stuff folder on the hard drive. Fill it out as you work. DPPW's must be complete prior to racing.

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Specifications:

Your car will have 5 races, adding the 3 longest distances traveled together will give you your score. This is a distance competition, make sure your car "tracks" straight. If it curves left or right, you might lose distance.

Any questions:

Doc Fizzix

1. There is no size limit to your car. It may be any size.

2. Your design will be driven by the power supplied by 1 small mousetrap.

3. You may use any material available to create your car- wood, Styrofoam, foam board, etc.

4. Plastic wheels are available to you, but you may bring in your own. Wheels can be made from materials that float.

5. You must experiment and choose how the mousetrap will cause the wheels to turn.

6. You may use any size wheel axles that you deem necessary to work with your choice of wheels.

7. you may not alter the mousetrap, but you may add extensions to the bail.

8. Fill out a web outline using Inspiration on the topics- "Mousetrap Cars-How Do They Work? and Basic Propulsion Theory."

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Work list:

Select a team, brainstorm a name.
Read and understand the Design Brief.
Read and understand the DPPW.
Make a team folder in the Stuff folder. Copy (save as) the DPPW on the desktop and place in your folder. fill out the top area and step 1- Problem.
Start your Research- step 2. This involves understanding two topics: Mousetrap Cars- how Do They Work? and Basic Propulsion Theory.
Step 3- Solutions- Each team will draw 6 thumbnail sketches, these should include car shape, position of the trap, any bail extensions and choice/placement of wheels. Record the ideas you come up with for these design areas in your DPPW. Pass in your thumbnails.
Include these good design parts in your step 4- Best Solution drawing. Use graph paper and draw an accurate full size or scale drawing. Include the design areas. Be neat, your MTPV should look very similar to your drawing. Pass in your rough sketch.
Build your Prototype- step 5. Make sure it conforms to the activity specs. Explain in your DPPW, what you used and how you built your MTPV.
Once your prototype is built, test it. Fill out step 6- Testing & Modifications, list any changes you made to your final solution.
When satisfied with your design, test out your MTPV on the real track. Record your 3 longest distances out of 5. Add them for a score.
Lastly, record any changes you would make for the better, or figure out why your design did not work. List these in step 8- Re-Design.
skip step 7- communicate. Take the end of activity Quiz. You may use your "Inspiration" outline for help in answering the questions.

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Research

Start your Research- step 2.

This involves understanding two topics:

Mousetrap Cars- How Do They Work? and
Basic Propulsion Theory.

Search for these topics on Doc Fizzix.

Devour this link, and research the info to create an "Inspiration" web outline. This can be used during your end of activity MTPV quiz. Print and pass in your "Research".

The "Inspiration" program is found in Start/ Programs/ Inspiration k-12. Be sure to save in your stuff folder.

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	5	3	1
Design Process Problem Worksheet	neat and complete	missing no more than 2 items	missing more than 2 items
Rough sketch	neat, has measurements	sloppy, unable to build from	not done
Competition	races 3 x	cannot complete race	DNR
Research	complete, both areas covered, fine content	only one topic completed	not completed
MTPV	neat, works, looks like the rough sketch	works, bares some resemblance to the rough sketch	does not work, and/ or does not look at all like the rough sketch
Quiz	85% or higher	70-84%	below 70%
Cooperation	Works and helps out in all ways	works 70% of the time	Works less than 70% of the time

	Information
Specifications		Research
Work List		Tips
	Grading