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Harnessing the Wind: Sail Car Activity

This activity demonstrates how wind can be used to propel an object. Students will build sails to catch the wind in order to move the Sail Car as far as possible. Experiment with the number, design, shape, and angle of sails to control the direction, speed, and distance of the Sail Car.

The Details

Image
Grades
3, 
4, 
and 5.
Time Required
120 minutes
Downloads
  PDFs

Next Generation Science Standards

Disciplinary Core Ideas

  • ETS1.A Defining and Delimiting an Engineering Problem
  • ETS1.B Developing Possible Solutions
  • ETS1.C Optimizing the Design Solution
  • PS3.A Definitions of Energy
  • PS3.B Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer

    • Cross-Cutting Concepts

  • Energy and Matter

    • Learning Objectives

    • Research, design and create a sail for a vehicle that will help it use wind to move as far as possible.
    • Use the engineering design process method to isolate and adjust variables to design a sail car that travels as far as possible
    • Explain how sails transfer the kinetic energy of the wind into the kinetic energy of the car moving forward

    Materials

    • 1 sheet of card stock
    • Wooden skewers
    • Binder clip
    • Straws
    • Foam stickers
    • 3-inch wooden craft balls
    • Prepared corrugated plastic sheets
      • You can use any size and shape corrugated plastic sheet. You will need x square
        feet of the plastic sheets (where x=the number of kids in the class). Based on
        the dimensions, you will need about 2 square feet for each team of 3 kids in the
        class, or half that much if kids will work in teams of 2. These will be used for the
        base of the sail car. (See the illustration on the next page.) Typically these are
        8”x4” with a pointed tip but you could make them any size you like. Make sure
        the flutes are going across the car so you can insert the axles!

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