On February 18, 2015

How slow does your car go?

Learning science and engineering with Legos

KILLINGTON—”How slow does your car go?” asked students in Amy Simonds’ sixth grade class at Killington Elementary School as they worked in teams to build and program Lego® cars that use gears to travel as slowly as possible. The culminating activity was a “snail race” competition to see which car moved at the slowest rate.

Simple machines, mechanical advantage, and engineering were the focal points of this lesson. After practicing with Lego® pieces to build such things as levers, gear trains, and pulleys, students worked in teams to begin the process of building their slow cars. Each student quickly realized the benefits of working as a team and the need to pool knowledge of engineering practices and gear ratios in order to design a very powerful, but very slow, car. This Lego® unit aligns with the Next Generation Science Standards, incorporating engineering, teamwork, creativity, and fun into the tasks.

Do you want to submit feedback to the editor?

Send Us An Email!

Related Posts

Local road construction plans for 4th of July week

July 2, 2025
The following is a weekly report that lists its planned construction activities that will affect traffic on state highways and interstates throughout Vermont for the week of June 30. Most construction projects will pause work for the 4th of July `Local roads in Rutland and Windsor County, include:     I-89 Royalton Construction continues Monday through…

Ribbon cuttings in Ludlow and Proctorsville highlight local business growth

July 2, 2025
A pair of ribbon cuttings on June 20 held by the Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce (OVRCC) marked a day of celebration for two local businesses and offered a boost of momentum to the region’s small business economy. In Ludlow, Aubuchon ACE Hardware unveiled its newly renovated store on Main Street with a grand…

Cirque Series celebrates successful Killington debut

July 2, 2025
By Polly Mikula The Cirque Series broke trail in New England with two new races. On June 7, runners raced up Cannon Mountain in Franconia, New Hampshire and this past Saturday, June 28, they tackled “The Beast of the East,” Killington Mountain. Cirque is also adding Crystal Mountain, Washington, to its national lineup of eight…

Rutland Sculpture Trail announces 14th installation

July 2, 2025
The 14th addition to the Rutland Sculpture Trail will honor the community’s giving spirit, volunteerism, and inspiration - and the national record for donating blood. Organizers have commissioned a piece honoring Rutland’s Gift-of-Life Marathon (GOLM), which still holds the one-day U.S. record for blood donations 12 years after setting the record and continues to inspire…