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Welcome to Engineering! – Today we’re young engineers – Engineering is solving puzzles – It’s like using clues to make something – Engineers build many things – Like toys, houses, and cool tracks! – We’ll design a race car track – Imagine your own track and how you’d race on it | This slide introduces the concept of engineering to Kindergarten students in a fun and relatable way. It’s important to convey that engineering is about problem-solving and creating, which is similar to how they play with puzzles. Emphasize that engineers are people who design and make things we use every day, from the toys they play with to the buildings they see. The idea of designing a race car track will be particularly engaging, as it’s something they can visualize and may have played with. Encourage the children to think creatively about how they would design their own track, considering the turns and twists they would include for the cars to race on. This activity will set the stage for a hands-on project where they can apply their understanding of engineering in a playful and educational manner.

Exploring Race Car Tracks – What’s a race car track? – A special road for racing cars. – Features of a track – Curves, straights, and hills make it fun! – Viewing track pictures – Understanding track design – Tracks are designed for speed and safety. | This slide introduces the concept of a race car track to Kindergarten students. Begin by explaining that a race car track is a special kind of road made just for cars to race on. Highlight the different parts of a track, such as the curves, which make the race exciting, and the straight parts, where cars can go fast. If possible, show the students pictures of various race car tracks to help them visualize. Discuss how each part of the track is designed for cars to move quickly but safely. Encourage the children to think about what makes a track fun and safe, setting the stage for them to design their own tracks later.

Shapes in Race Car Tracks – Tracks have different shapes – Like circles, ovals, figure-eights, and more! – Spot shapes in track pictures – Look at photos and find circles, ovals, etc. – Engineers design for speed & fun – They consider what shapes will make the cars go fastest and what’s most enjoyable. – What shapes make tracks fun? | This slide introduces the concept of geometry in engineering by exploring the shapes found in race car tracks. Show the students pictures of various race tracks and ask them to identify the shapes they can see. Explain that engineers use different shapes to make the tracks more exciting and to make the cars go faster. Encourage the children to think about what shapes they find fun and why. For an activity, you could have students draw their own race track with their favorite shapes or use toy cars to explore how different shapes affect speed and fun.

Designing Our Race Car Track – We’re creating our track! – Use shapes to speed up cars – Shapes like slopes help cars zoom – Make room for passing cars – Wide tracks let cars overtake – Designing is fun and creative | This slide is meant to excite the students about the opportunity to design their own race car track. Emphasize the importance of shapes in the design process, explaining how certain shapes can make cars go faster, such as slopes or curved tracks. Discuss the necessity of having enough space on the track for cars to pass each other safely, which introduces basic concepts of spatial awareness and planning. Encourage creativity and assure them that there is no single ‘right’ way to design a track. For the activity, provide materials like blocks, cardboard, or paper for students to create their own track designs. Allow them to test their tracks with toy cars, and observe which designs allow for the fastest speeds and easiest passing.

Building Our Race Car Track! – Gather cardboard, tape, and toy cars – Use our imagination and hands to build – Think of special additions for our track – Can we use colors, stickers, or tunnels? – Ready, set, build! | This slide is meant to excite the students about the hands-on activity of building a race car track. It outlines the basic materials needed and encourages creative thinking for additional elements to make their tracks unique. Teachers should facilitate a brainstorming session for what special features can be added to the tracks, such as tunnels, ramps, or decorations. The activity should be supervised to ensure safety while using materials like tape and scissors. Possible activities include assigning different track sections to groups, having a race with the finished tracks, or even a gallery walk to appreciate each other’s designs. The goal is to foster creativity, problem-solving, and basic engineering skills in a fun and engaging way.

Safety First in Building Our Race Track! – Safety is key when building – Walk and share with care – No running. Pass scissors and glue with handles first – Help friends in need – If a friend is struggling, we offer a hand – Keep our building space tidy – Clean up any spills or messes quickly | This slide emphasizes the importance of safety and cooperation in the classroom as the students engage in the activity of designing a race car track. It’s crucial to instill the value of walking carefully and sharing materials responsibly to avoid accidents. Encourage students to be mindful of their friends, offering help when needed, and to maintain a clean workspace by organizing their materials and cleaning up after themselves. This will not only ensure a safe environment but also teach them valuable life skills of empathy, responsibility, and teamwork. During the activity, monitor the students to ensure they follow these safety guidelines and assist them in helping each other.

Building Our Race Car Track – Time to build with friends – Use shapes to make the track – Circles, squares, and rectangles can form our track – Teamwork makes it fun – Think like engineers – Solve problems and create like an engineer | This slide is for a class activity where students will engage in a hands-on project to build a race car track. The activity is designed to introduce them to basic engineering concepts and the importance of teamwork. Provide a variety of safe materials like blocks, cardboard tubes, and toy cars. Encourage the children to use different shapes to create their track, emphasizing how each shape can contribute to the design. Promote collaboration by having them work in small groups, fostering communication and problem-solving skills. As they build, guide them to think like engineers by asking questions about their design choices and encouraging them to test and improve their tracks. Possible activities include designing a straight track with a start and finish line, creating a track with a loop, or building a track with a hill. The goal is to let students explore and learn through play.

Testing Our Tracks – Test tracks with toy cars – Does your car complete the track? – Make sure the car can go around without stopping – Observe where cars stop – Look for spots where cars don’t move smoothly – Think of improvements – Can we add a ramp or make it curvier? | This slide is focused on the class activity of testing the race car tracks that the students have built. Encourage the children to gently place their toy cars at the start of their tracks and observe if the cars can make it all the way around without any help. If the cars stop, ask the students to think about why it happened and what could be causing the issue. Is it a sharp turn, or is the track too steep? Guide them to come up with ideas on how to improve their tracks, such as adding a ramp for more speed or adjusting the curves for better car movement. This activity will help them understand the basics of trial and error and the engineering design process. Have a variety of materials on hand for them to modify their tracks and test different solutions. Possible activities include adding tunnels, jumps, or making the track longer or shorter.

Sharing Our Race Car Track Designs – Show your track to the class – Talk about the shapes in your track – Did you use circles, squares, or rectangles? – Share your favorite building part – Was it making turns, hills, or decorating? – Listen to friends’ track stories | This slide is for a class activity where students will present the race car tracks they’ve designed. Encourage each child to confidently show their creation to the class and describe the different shapes they incorporated into their design. Ask them to explain what they enjoyed the most during the building process, whether it was creating turns, adding elevations like hills, or decorating their tracks. This activity will help students practice their speaking skills and learn to appreciate different design elements. As students share, the teacher should facilitate by asking guiding questions and ensuring that each student listens respectfully while others are sharing. This will foster a supportive classroom environment where creativity is celebrated.

Class Activity: Build and Race! – Team up and build race tracks – Race your cars on your track – See which car zips the fastest – Cheer for friends and enjoy | This activity is designed to introduce students to basic engineering and physics concepts through play. Divide the class into small groups and provide a variety of materials (e.g., cardboard tubes, blocks, tape) for them to construct their own race tracks. Encourage creativity in track design, emphasizing that each team’s track can be unique. Once the tracks are built, have each group race their toy cars and observe which car reaches the finish line first. This will help them understand concepts like slope and friction in a practical way. Ensure that the activity remains fun and that students are encouraged to support their peers. Possible variations of the activity could include using different materials, changing the track’s slope, or adding obstacles to create a more challenging race.