FIRST® at Home

Gravity Car

ACTIVITY SUMMARY
Students design, build, and test a vehicle powered by the force of gravity.

Age Range & Grade Level: Ages 9+, Grade 4+

Program Connection: FIRST® LEGO® League Challenge
Authored By: Tammy Pankey, Manager of Curriculum Development, FIRST® Education

ACTIVITY OUTCOMES
Participants will:

1. Design and build a car powered by gravity.

2. Conduct tests of the gravity car on a gravity ramp.

3. Make observations and determine the average distance traveled.

RELEVANCE MATRIX – Subject Area Crosswalks and Core Values Addressed

Computer
Science Math Literacy Social Studies Science/Design
Thinking
Measurement Engineering Design
Environmental
Forces and Motion Research Process, Testing,
Distance issues
Iteration
Discovery Innovation Impact Inclusion Teamwork

FUN! Our last Core Value should always be used when doing any FIRST activities.

KEY VOCABULARY
Force Distance Design Gravity

Modification Average

MATERIALS & SUPPLIES NEEDED FOR THIS ACTIVITY

Gravity Track Design Brief, materials to build gravity car (LEGO® set or materials around home),
materials to build gravity track (wooden board, 10 boards or materials around home)
 GUIDANCE SET-UP
Description – Action – Guidance Notes
The design brief document starts on page 4.
Provide students with the design brief.

Review the problem statement and criteria/constraints with the

Review the age appropriate engineering design
students. Remind students they will be using the engineering design
process with your students.
process to work towards a solution.
Determine how students will complete the activity, what their length Make sure students record the track distance. As
of time will be, how to collaborate virtually and how to share their an option, students could create their gravity car
solutions. Have students work on their solutions. designs in a CAD program online.
Review Evidence of Achievement rubric (on next page) and create
Sample rubric provided.
assessments if needed.
Explore the Go Further! Opportunities See below.
Wrap up – Have students complete their Core Values Self- Core Values Self-Reflection is found in the
Reflection and review. student design brief document.

STUDENT OR TEAM ACTIONS

1. Review the Gravity Car Design Brief and problem statement.
2. Research the questions and discuss.
3. Generate a rough sketch of your Gravity Car design.
4. Create your Gravity Car following the criteria and constraints.
5. Set up your gravity track.
6. Record your distance after each run. Determine the average distance.
7. Explore the Go Further! opportunities.
8. Complete your Core Values Self-Reflection.

GO FURTHER!
• I feel the need for speed! Calculate the speed traveled by your gravity car. Add different
masses to your car and determine how the extra mass affects its speed.
• Iterate and Improve! Now that you have tested your gravity car, make improvements to it.
Can you get it to travel farther? Can you get it to travel faster? Can it do both or only one of
these?
EVIDENCE OF ACHIEVEMENT

Evaluation Rubric

Category 3 points 2 points 1 point

All requirements on the Some of the requirements Only a few requirements on

Requirements on the design brief were
design brief were met. the design brief were met.
met.

Clearly showed how the

Showed how the solution Not clear how the solution
Design solution solved the
would solve the challenge. would solve the challenge.
challenge.

Demonstrated collaboration
by sharing information Shared some information or Respect and inclusion
Collaboration
or working with team with team members. being developed.
members.

All the questions are All the questions are The questions are not
Knowledge Gained answered but could have
answered completely. answered.
more detail.

FIRST is a global robotics community that prepares young people for the future.
www.firstinspires.org
 FIRST® at Home
Gravity Car
Design Brief

PROBLEM STATEMENT
Design, build, and test a vehicle powered by the force of gravity.

CRITERIA & CONSTRAINTS

• The car must between 3 and 6 inches long.
• The car must travel the longest distance from the end of the Gravity Ramp Track.
• You must have at least two wheels and no more than six wheels on your car.
• You will have only three runs on the track.
• Use the materials specified by the teacher or adult facilitating this activity.

ENGINEERING DESIGN PROCESS & FIRST® CORE VALUES

FIRST® Engineering Design Process | Explore FIRST Core Values

BUILDING THE BACKGROUND

Reflect, research, and answer the questions below.
1. What are Newton’s laws of motion?

2. What forces act on an object in motion?

3. What is the relationship between distance, speed, and time?

ACTIVITY STEPS
1. Generate a rough sketch of your Gravity Car design.

2. Create your Gravity Car based on your design. Be sure you follow the criteria and constraints!
3. Set up your gravity track using this diagram as a reference. Use alternative materials as needed from
around your home to make your gravity track.

Wooden Board
Stack of 10 books,
Chair or Table

4. Record your distance after each run in the chart below. Determine the average distance.

Gravity Track Run Results

Run Distance (ft or in)

1. _______

2 _______

3. _______

Average ________________
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
1. What are the limitations of the model you created?

2. Was your coaster well designed? Explain your answer.

3. Predict what would happen if you added additional mass to the gravity car.

4. What skills did you use or learn in this activity?

5. What would you do differently if you did it again?

GO FURTHER!
• I feel the need for speed! Calculate the speed traveled by your gravity car. Add different
masses to your car and determine how the extra mass affects its speed.
• Iterate and Improve! Now that you have tested your gravity car, make improvements to it.
Can you get it to travel farther? Can you get it to travel faster? Can it do both or only one of
these?
CORE VALUES SELF-REFLECTION

Amazing Skill Great Job Making Progress Could Be Better

I approached the tasks I approached the tasks

looking for all possible and asked questions I approached tasks
I depended on others to
answers independently from one other person but needed assistance
Discover make the discovery for
and used perseverance but persevered to multiple times to reach a
me.
to discover the answer discover the answer on point of discovery.
on my own. my own.
I struggled with being
I used creativity and I used creativity and
creative and only used
perseverance to solve perseverance to solve I used creativity
the information given
problems on my own, problems on my own but struggled with
Innovation and needed a lot of
coming up with unique coming up with different perseverance to solve
encouragement from
solutions for the tasks I solutions for the tasks I problems on my own.
others to complete the
was given. was given.
task.
I approached the tasks
applying understanding I approached the tasks I understand the tasks I understand the tasks
of the information with knowing and applying but struggle to apply but did not approach it
Impact the impact it can have the information with how it will help me in with understanding the
on me and my future as impact it can have on my future or to influence impact it can have on
well as how I could help me and my future. others. my future or others.
others.
I approached all
I approached most I did not approach
tasks with inclusion of I approached some
with inclusion of tasks with inclusion of
others’ ideas, I showed tasks with inclusion of
others’ ideas, I tried others’ ideas, I tried
tremendous kindness others’ ideas, I tried
to understand others’ to understand others’
by including others’ to understand others’
Inclusion views and include them views and include them
views in my projects and views and include them
in my projects and work. in my projects and
work. I approached my in my projects and work.
My solution mostly work. My solution is not
solution thinking how all My solution meets only
incorporates needs of inclusive of different
people would interact a few needs of others.
others. types of people.
with the solution.
I only sometimes
I used collaboration, I used collaboration, I used collaboration,
used collaboration,
communication and communication and communication and
communication and
project management project management project management
Teamwork project management
to get all tasks to get most tasks to get some tasks
and accomplished a few
accomplished for myself accomplished for myself accomplished for myself
tasks for myself as well
as well as the others. as well as the others. as well as the others.
as the others.
I kept a positive attitude
throughout and found I kept a positive attitude
I saw the enjoyment I only saw struggle in
opportunities to have throughout and found
and fun after the activity completing my tasks
Fun fun even through opportunities to have
but struggled to see it and did not look for
struggle. I looked for fun even through
during. times to have fun.
additional opportunities struggle.
to have fun in my tasks.

FIRST is a global robotics community that prepares young people for the future.
www.firstinspires.org