Powerful Propulsion th (4 Grade +) Program Overview: Students will look under the Suggested School Program Schedule: hood of many vehicles to see how technology has advanced 9:45am: Arrive at the museum. Lead teacher will check-in. over time, specifically for 10:00-10:15am (10 minutes): Welcome and introduction to internal combustion engines. During a guided tour of the program. Students break into smaller groups of approximately NASCAR exhibit, students will 10 students and are matched with a museum educator for the observe how race cars are built guided tour. for speed. While exploring the 10:15-11:45am (90 minutes): Guided Tour with hands-on Alternative Propulsion exhibit, gallery activities. students will learn about fuel- efficient vehicles currently in 11:45-11:50am (5 minutes): Return to lobby. existence and compare and contrast various energy sources. If booked in advance for an additional fee, school groups may also To conclude, students will participate in hands-on workshops and enjoy a test run on either the hypothesize what fuels and racing simulator or slot car track in the Speed Zone. Indoor space to technologies may power vehicles eat lunch may also be available, if booked in advance. in the future. Guiding Questions: How to Prepare for Your Museum Visit: How does an internal combustion engine work? What This curriculum guide includes background information, pre- and post- sources of energy and types of visit lesson plans, a glossary of terms, and additional resources to help technology can be used for enhance your museum experience. Each lesson corresponds to Essential transportation? Academic Learning Requirements (EALRs) and Common Core Standards (CCSS). Please modify these lessons as you see appropriate. Feel free to Key Concepts/Themes: let us know if we can provide you with additional resources to better Force and motion integrate your field trip into your classroom curriculum. Simple and complex machines In addition to familiarizing yourself with this Curriculum Guide, please review the Field Trip Guide included in your confirmation letter. This Energy transfer and includes detailed information for all chaperones. chemical reactions Fossil fuels and pollution Carbon cycle Renewable resources ACM Background Information Brief History of Car Technology Possible cars that The invention of the wheel paved the way for transportation as it is known today. will be highlighted: Historians don’t know exactly who invented the wheel, but the oldest wheel discovered thus far is believed to be over 5,500 years old. The ancient Egyptians, 1899 Baldwin Indians, Greeks, and Romans improved the design of the wheel and axle, a simple Steamer: This car is machine, by adding spokes and creating a variety of wheels for different sorts of the oldest car in the vehicles including chariots, farm carts, wagons, and passenger coaches. Until the collection. invention of the internal combustion engine, horses and oxen were important sources of energy. The term “horsepower’ is still used today to measure the power 1906 Ford Model N: limits of machine engines. However, concerns regarding sanitation (due to horse This is one of the waste) eventually led some inventors to look towards alternative forms of earliest examples in transportation. the Museum of a vehicle with a crank In the 1700s, steam-powered vehicles, dubbed “horseless carriages,” came on the shaft. market, but they didn’t gain popularity until the early 1900s. In 1902, 485 of 909 new car registrations were for steamers that were powered by burning wood, coal, or oil 1912 Standard to heat water in a boiler. The steam generated drove pistons up and down within Electric: This car is hollow cylinders. The movement of the pistons drove the crankshaft, which powered by fourteen ultimately turned the wheels. Eventually steamers went out of style because they had 6-volt batteries and long start-up times and required frequent stops for water. yields a top speed of 35 mph. It has a In 1899 and 1900, the sale of electric cars surpassed those of all other types of standard maximum vehicles in the United States. Like electric cars today, they ran on energy stored in range of 125 miles. rechargeable batteries. These vehicles were quieter, offered a smoother ride, and were relatively odor-free. They also didn’t require a long start-up time like the steam car or 1918 Cadillac Type the considerable manual effort that was required to start a gas-powered car with a 57: This car is one of hand crank. Both steam and electric cars did not require changing gears, which was a the earliest examples difficult task to do in early gasoline-powered cars. However, the prominence of the in the Museum of a electric car was destined to be short-lived as several developments shifted the self-starter and a V-8 advantage to gasoline-powered vehicles. engine. As more and more good roads were built to connect cities, the electric car’s limited 1930 Duesenberg range eventually became a liability. That combined with cheaper gasoline (due to the Model J: This car’s discovery of oil reserves in Texas), the introduction of the conveyor belt assembly straight-eight engine line system by Henry Ford, and the invention of the electric starter (which replaced could produce speeds the often dangerous hand crank) led to gasoline engines becoming more popular. over 115 mph. Owning a car before Henry Ford’s Model T was introduced was like owning a private Images of these cars can be plane today. Once assembly line production “put America on wheels,” lives changed found near the end of this as people took advantage of their new freedoms. Now in North America, quality of curriculum guide. life is often defined by the power and style of our vehicles. It is important for many that cars provide a means of easy, efficient, and enjoyable transportation. However, serious concerns about air pollution from exhaust emissions and its contribution to global climate change are forcing us to consider alternatives to the internal combustion engine and gasoline fuel. Once again, electric cars are becoming popular because they offer a quieter and cleaner ride. ACM Background Information Introduction to the Physics of Cars Possible cars that Physics is an all-embracing science that helps to explain how the world works. will be highlighted: Learning about cars and how they work provides a unique opportunity to explore the science of physics. Motion is the act or process of moving from one place to 1937 Chrysler another. In order for an object to move, a force needs to act upon it and change its Airflow: This is motion. A force is a push or a pull on an object. How fast an object moves is called considered the first its speed. Velocity tells you not only the speed of the object, but also the specific direction in which the object is moving. Acceleration is the measure of how much streamlined car. It was the velocity of an object changes in a given amount of time. Like velocity, a flop when it debuted acceleration has both magnitude and direction. You will accelerate an object if you in 1934 because it was apply a force to it which changes its speed, its direction or both. Mass also affects considered “too motion. Mass is the amount of matter in an object and is generally measured in grams modern.” However, its or kilograms. Inertia is the natural inclination of an object to resist changes in its innovative state of motion. This means that if an object is not moving, it will remain motionless aerodynamics left a until a force is applied to move it. If an object is moving, it will keep moving at the same speed and in the same direction until a force is applied to change its speed, its mark on every car direction or both. The greater the mass of an object, the greater its inertia will be. since. You will need to put more effort into moving a steel block than a wooden block because the steel block has more mass and, therefore, more inertia than the wooden 1983 DeLorean block. Friction is the force that opposes motion when you attempt to move one DMC 12: This rear- object over the surface of another. Increased friction gives you better traction, and engine vehicle has your car is better able to hold the road. Friction can also make ‘work’ harder. Engine gull-wing doors and a parts rubbing together can create friction so that a car engine doesn’t run as brushed stainless steel smoothly. Adding oil to the engine keeps engine parts coated and this reduces body. friction and engine wear. Air resistance is a type of friction that also affects the efficiency of your car. As your car moves down the road it has to push the air it 1963 Chevrolet encounters aside and around it. A car with a streamlined shape will have better fuel Corvette Sting Ray: efficiency than a boxy one. Potential energy is energy that is stored within an object either because of its position or the way in which its parts are arranged. A car parked This was the only year on the top of a hill, the chemical energy in gasoline, and a coiled spring are all that this style featured examples of potential energy. Kinetic energy is the energy of motion. The potential a rear split window. energy of a car parked in neutral on a hill is transformed into kinetic energy when its emergency brake is released and the car starts moving downhill under the force of 1937 Fiat Topolino: gravity. Energy can change from one form to another, but energy can neither be This “little mouse” created nor destroyed.