The energy at DCG Middle School is off the charts, thanks in large part to the balloon car project.
“I blew it up and it just went further and further and further,” says 5th grader Natalie Burns. “We totally freaked out because it went so far.”
Burns was all-in on this project from the jump.
“We just took straws, tapes, plastic wheels and cardboard,” says Burns. “Our challenge was to create a car that would go very fast or go for a long distance.”
It’s not going fast or far without a good design. That’s something our students have to do on their own.
“You get to be creative, especially with this one, you get to design it,” shares 5th grader Gracyn Auten.
The design phase does come with a little trial and error, but that’s part of the project plan.
“If something doesn’t work the way they want it to, continue to keep trying and just try it again and try it again,” says DCG Middle School Teacher Ronda McCarthy. “Every time it fails, fix it, and try it one more time.”
Here’s an example of that learning at work.
“Another big problem was my balloon,” says Burns. “I could not figure out how to stop it from dragging on the end, so I just figured I can move it back further. I put it closer to the center of my car and now it doesn’t drag as much.”
It’s one unit in early October, but for our middle school students, the balloon car project sets the tone for the rest of the year.
“It tells me I’m on the right track because I see them grow throughout the year,” says McCarthy. “By the end of the year they are going to know the engineering design process and they are going to have that growth mindset.”
On the project’s final day there is a friendly competition evolving. How far can these balloon cars really go?
“For a while I was the record holder of 31 squares,” says Burns. “But then someone else in 5th grade beat my record so I’m trying to take it back now.”