King of the Hill
Engineering Challenge Integrates Technology, Math, and Science

Mr. David J. Hortman
Technology Education Teacher, Milton Hershey School

Teaching Objective

The King of the Hill project provides an opportunity for students to become engineers through an active learning experience. The engineering challenge allows students to apply their mathematical and scientific knowledge to find practical, effective solutions to a dynamic technological problem. The King of the Hill project is motivational and highly rewarding.

Learning Objectives

The physical science concepts this project covers are forces and motion more specifically, friction and mass. The goal of the King of the Hill is to design and build a vehicle that moves quickly and has the mass to prevent an opponent from reaching their goal. Students are shown how different materials have different amounts of friction when placed against an object.

Students can hypothesize what amount of force will be needed to move their design (see Science Standards). Once they have a working vehicle they can measure the force used and then calculate how efficiently their design uses energy.

Mathematical concepts such as geometry can also be covered in this project.  Students are shown how round objects with different diameters can travel at different speeds.

Engineering principles include brainstorming of ideas, analyzing, testing, and revision of ideas. Students can work individually or in teams of two. Using creative problem-solving techniques, students brainstorm about the best material to use, and then design their solutions based on their brainstorming ideas.  By having each team create its own design, each solution can be very unique (see Technology Standards).

Curriculum Integration

This project not only shows students how science, technology and mathematics work together, but it also allows them to use their language arts skills.

Before the competition begins, each team gives an oral presentation to the class describing how their device works, and the principles of force and motion they are taking advantage of in their solution. The teacher can also have each team describe what a simple machine is, how many there are, and point out the different ones used in their design.

After the competition, each team submits a written report stating what the team did at each step in the problem-solving process. The report ends with a conclusion stating why the device was successful or what changes could have been made to make it more successful. 

Students’ art skills are utilized by making drawings of their devices with written descriptions placed beside key components. Drawings must be completed to an appropriate scale.

Assessment Rubric

Individual and team efforts are judged according to the rubric (see Rubric in the Design Brief). Students are scored in two areas. 

The first assessment area is function. Typical questions asked during this phase of the assessment include:

• Does the solution move by itself?

• Does the solution use the required materials? 

• Is the solution’s starting size within the specified limits? 

The second assessment area is how the solution finished in the competition.  Part of the students' grades are determined by the performance of their solution in a dynamic testing environment. 

So they know how they will be evaluated in this learning activity, each student receives a copy of the rubric when the project is assigned.

Science Standards

The following science standards, which are integrated into the King of the Hill activity, are found in the National Research Council’s National Science Education Standards.

1. Scientific Inquiry

      a. Identify questions and concepts that guide scientific investigation
b. Design/conduct scientific investigations
c. Formulate and revise scientific explanations and models using logic and evidence
d. Recognize and analyze alternative explanations and models
e. Communicate and defend a scientific argument

2. Physical Science

      a. Motions and forces

3. Science and Technology

      a. Abilities of technological design
b. Understandings about science and technology

Technology

The following technology standards are integrated into the learning activity. These standards are taken from the International Technology Education Association's Standards for Technological Literacy.

1. Nature of Technology

      a. Core concepts of technology
b. Relationships among technologies and  connections to other fields

2. Design

      a. Attributes of design
b. Engineering design
c. Role of troubleshooting, research and development, invention and innovation, and experimentation in problem solving

3. Abilities for a Technological World

      a. Apply design processes

4. Use and  maintain products and systems

      a. Assess impacts of products and systems

5. The Design World

      a. Energy and power technologies
b. Transportation technologies
c. Manufacturing technologies

Challenge

Design a vehicle to climb a hill, cross the crest, stop, and prevent an opponent from crossing in the opposite direction. The objective is to get your vehicle on the other side of the hill, and your opponent’s on the same side.

Activity Materials

• 2 coffee cans with plastic lids4 plastic soda bottles (1 or 2 liters)

• 8 rubber bands

• 2 mouse traps

• 4 four-ounce lead sinkers

• 1 12 x 12 x 1/4-inch piece of plywood

• 4 jar lids

• 2 wire coat hangers

• 1 three-foot wooden dowel (any diameter)

• 1 12x12-inch piece of cardboard

• 1 three-foot piece of string

• Metal fasteners ( screws, bolts, nails, etc.)

• Glue or chemical bonding agent

 Design Requirements

• Only the materials listed above may be used. Materials specified may be used in any way.

• Vehicles may use any (safe) means for reaching the other side of the hill and for preventing opponents from reaching your side.

• Vehicles may run on wheels, or tracks,  launch through the air, extend an arm, throw an object, bulldoze an opponent, or prevent an opponent from crossing. All actions must be done automatically once the device is started.

• Vehicles must be self-propelled. You may touch it to start, but you may not give it a push.  You may not touch it after the match has begun.  It may leave nothing at the starting line.

• Vehicles may be no longer than 12 inches and no wider than 8 inches the moment it starts.

The Contest

• The hill will be a double inclined plane with a three-inch rise from its base (i.e., an 8% grade). Each inclined plane will be ten inches wide and three feet long.  A one-foot platform separates the ramps at the top.

• Hill sides are three inches high and secured to prevent vehicles from going over the edge, to help eliminate steering problems, and to facilitate “bulldozing.” 

• Vehicles will compete two at a time, with winners advancing until a King is crowned.

• After 15 seconds or when all motion stops, whichever comes first, the vehicle that remains on the opposite side of the hill from its start will be declared the winner. If neither vehicle crosses the crest or both finish on their opposite sides, a draw will be declared and both vehicles will be disqualified.

Questions to Consider

• How will my vehicle propel itself? 

• Can my vehicle prevent my opponent from reaching my side of the hill first or pushing my vehicle backward? 

• How will my vehicle start the contest?

• Can I use energy stored in rubber bands or mousetraps to power my vehicle?

Helpful Hints

• Design for speed. Successful vehicles are usually those that reach the crest first.

• Consider offensive and defensive strategies.

• Design for durability.  Opposing vehicles and accidents can damage a fragile design.

• Design for easy repair. Complex designs are more prone to break down and hard to fix.

Problem-Solving Process

• Define the problem in your own words.

• Sketch solutions (minimum of one thumbnail sketch of three different ideas).

• Select the best solution, develop a final sketch with dimensions, written justification for design selection, and a resource list.

• Meet teacher-established deadlines.

• Build a prototype (model).

• Test your prototype on designated dates.

• Compare test results to design criteria.

• Redesign, if necessary.

• Prepare your Engineering Report.

Rubric - King of the Hill

Engineering Report Requirements

• Title Page- teacher specifies items to include

• Problem- state the problem in your words.

• Materials- list all the materials you used.

• Problem Solving Process- describe the designing, producing, testing and analyzing processes you used.

• Building- describe the building of your vehicle so the reader could build your solution.

• Preliminary Testing- summarize the testing you performed prior to the due date.  Be sure to describe any changes you made to your solution as a result of this testing.

• Summary- explain what happened to your solution on the due date. State whether it was successful or unsuccessful and why.

• Drawings- include thumbnail sketches of preliminary ideas (brainstorming), and a formal drawing of your final solution.

Other Notes about the Engineering Report:

• If you need to include additional material in your report, which is not listed here or in the design brief, feel free to do so.

• Reports MUST be typed on computer or typewriter.  You must write your own report, but reports may be typed by someone else.