Graduate Teaching Graduate Teaching Fellows in Middle and Fellows in Middle and

High School High School EducationEducation

Preparing Today’s Students for Preparing Today’s Students for Tomorrow’s Automotive Tomorrow’s Automotive

IndustryIndustry

National Science FoundationNational Science Foundation

Grant # DGE-0338312Grant # DGE-0338312

Project OverviewProject Overview PurposePurpose

– Bring cutting-edge technical content of Bring cutting-edge technical content of science and engineering topics, using science and engineering topics, using applications from the automotive applications from the automotive industry, into the 6-12 classroomindustry, into the 6-12 classroom

– Broaden graduate education for students Broaden graduate education for students in STEM disciplines through outreach in STEM disciplines through outreach experiencesexperiences

ProcessProcess– Graduate fellows develop and implement Graduate fellows develop and implement

lesson modules focused around the lesson modules focused around the design processdesign process

– Modules are tested in Tuscaloosa city and Modules are tested in Tuscaloosa city and county classroomscounty classrooms

Example ModulesExample Modules

Battery DesignBattery Design ElectromagnetsElectromagnets Newton’s 2Newton’s 2ndnd Law with Dynamic Carts Law with Dynamic Carts Law of Sines as applied to a Crank Law of Sines as applied to a Crank

ShaftShaft Speed of Sound with Car HornSpeed of Sound with Car Horn Geometers Sketchpad and Geometers Sketchpad and

Antiderivatives to relate Position, Antiderivatives to relate Position, Velocity, and AccelerationVelocity, and Acceleration

Use of Odometers for SummationsUse of Odometers for Summations

Battery Design TaskBattery Design Task

Design of a Modified Wet-cell Design of a Modified Wet-cell BatteryBattery

High School Chemistry ClassHigh School Chemistry Class Discussion of Batteries and Discussion of Batteries and

Fuel CellsFuel Cells– explanation of electrochemistry explanation of electrochemistry – relationship to the automotive relationship to the automotive

industryindustry Students rotated through 4 Students rotated through 4

stations, building and testing stations, building and testing several different types of wet-several different types of wet-cell battery.cell battery.

Battery Design TaskBattery Design Task

Design Task: Modify a 1V Design Task: Modify a 1V wet cell to increase the wet cell to increase the voltage. voltage.

Process:Process:– Several days brainstormingSeveral days brainstorming– Design submissionDesign submission– Materials provided to Materials provided to

construct designconstruct design– Competition to obtain Competition to obtain

highest voltagehighest voltage

Battery Design Task ResultsBattery Design Task Results

Increased motivation with hands-on Increased motivation with hands-on learning in a real-world context.learning in a real-world context.

Students excelled Students excelled – One team designed a 4V cellOne team designed a 4V cell– Good performance in formal testing of Good performance in formal testing of

the related concepts.the related concepts.

Newton’s 2Newton’s 2ndnd Law with Dynamic Law with Dynamic CartsCarts

Demonstration and investigation Demonstration and investigation using PASCOusing PASCO®® dynamics carts and dynamics carts and accessoriesaccessories

Law of Sines as applied to a Law of Sines as applied to a Crank ShaftCrank Shaft

An investigation into the Law of Sines, An investigation into the Law of Sines, utilizing Geometer’s Sketchpadutilizing Geometer’s Sketchpad®® software, as applied to crankshaft software, as applied to crankshaft design.design.

m CA = 3.41 cm

mCBA = 27.00

m BA = 7.51 cm

m BC = 6.71 cm

sin mCBA = 0.45

sin mACB = 1.00

sin mCAB = 0.89

mACB = 89.62

mCAB = 63.38A

C

B

Geometers Sketchpad and Geometers Sketchpad and Antiderivatives to relate Antiderivatives to relate Position, Velocity, and Position, Velocity, and

AccelerationAcceleration

2

1.8

1.6

1.4

1.2

1

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

-1 1 2 3 4

Area FGJ Area JGCB Area v1 app2

0.031 0.16 0.19

Total Distance = 11.417

Area BCDE = 11.000

Area EDI = 0.250

Area v1 app1 = 0.250

Area v1 app2 = 0.19

Area JGCB = 0.16

Area FGJ = 0.031

v(x) = v1+v2+v3

G: (0.251, 0.251)

v3 x = -2x-12

v2 x = 1

v1 x = 4x2

time (min)

velocity (mpm)

Show Integral T ools

Don't Cl ick Here!

Show

J

C

BF

G

8 9 10 11 12 13I

D

E

ParticipantsParticipants

University of AlabamaUniversity of Alabama– Center for Advanced Center for Advanced

Vehicle TechnologiesVehicle Technologies– College of EngineeringCollege of Engineering– College of Arts and College of Arts and

SciencesSciences– College of EducationCollege of Education– Center for Center for

Communication and Communication and Educational Technology Educational Technology (CCET)(CCET)

– In-Service Education In-Service Education CenterCenter

Tuscaloosa City Tuscaloosa City SchoolsSchools– Paul W. Bryant High Paul W. Bryant High

SchoolSchool– Eastwood Middle Eastwood Middle

SchoolSchool

Tuscaloosa County Tuscaloosa County SchoolsSchools– Hillcrest High SchoolHillcrest High School– Hillcrest Middle Hillcrest Middle

SchoolSchool