Before Watching
Before class, collect pictures of a variety of cars from automobile
advertisements. Post the pictures on the board. Before they watch the program,
ask the students to look at the pictures and think about the features of
various auto designs. Which cars seem designed to go fast. What design features
seem to be related to speed? As they watch the program, ask students to look
for similarities and differences between the designs of consumer cars and
racing cars. Although the cars used in the Indianapolis 500 are the result of advanced
engineering and technology, this program emphasizes the importance of "the
human factor" in winning the race. While they watch, have students be alert to
the importance of the drivers' observations and intuitive reactions during the
testing process.
After Watching
Conduct a soup race with your class. Collect several different flavors of
canned soup (some with noodles, some with rice, some clear broths, and so
forth). To make the most accurate comparisons, all the cans should be of the
same size. You will also need a stopwatch and a long flat ramp surface,
approximately four feet long and at least a foot wide (a playground slide is
ideal, although any long board will do). Divide the class into teams. Give each team at least three cans containing
different kinds of soup. Ask the students to predict which cans will be the
fastest. After they have made their predictions, have each group conduct two or
more trials with their cans to see which cans are fastest. Each group will then
enter its fastest can in the final round. Compare the entrants in the final
round. (The ingredients in some soup will "roll" differently than other types,
but the students can determine this through observations.) Further experiments
can be done with cans of fruit, vegetables, soda, potato sticks, and other
products.
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