Physical Science, New York EditionUnit 1:
Energy and MotionUnit Project 1Project Type: Career
In this project, students will explore the careers available to mechanical engineers in sports. After they complete their research they will design a piece of aerodynamic sports equipment and create an advisement for the sport and the equipment. They should explain why the aerodynamic design is the best for that sport and its conditions. Alternative Procedure:
Select a sport for your class to play such as golf, basketball, or kickball. After playing the game, have the students explain how aerodynamics impacted their performance. Allow the class to design new aerodynamic sport equipment for that sport. Time:
1 class period to research and 1 class period to design the equipment. Resources:
Students can visit these web sites to explore the careers available to mechanical engineers in sports. Bicycles
http://travel.howstuffworks.com/bicycle.htm Why does a golf ball have dimples?
http://wings.avkids.com/Book/Sports/instructor/golf-01.html Boomerang
http://wings.avkids.com/Book/Sports/instructor/boomerang-01.html Aerodynamics of Car Racing
http://www.nas.nasa.gov/About/Education/Racecar/ U.S. Department of Labor: Mechanical Engineering
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos033.htm  | 
