Hot wheels are not just for the toy box, but are valuable classroom tools as well. Fourth grade students used the cars to learn about physical science including energy and energy transfer as part of their amplify curriculum.
The students raced and crashed cars on the cafeteria floor to construct an explanation relating the speed of an object to the energy of that object. Students used yardsticks to measure distances traveled.
They furthered the scientific process to predict outcomes about the changes in energy that occurred when the objects collided.
"This is one of the best project-based learning units we have ever done over the years,” said Raquel Feest. “This project involving Hot Wheels really lets the students be "hands-on" in their learning about how potential energy is transferred to kinetic energy. Not only that, the students learn to work with a partner to collaborate and communicate throughout the whole project."