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Planetary Land Rover

We are still working on a pdf version of this lesson.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Overview
  3. Activity
  4. Assessment
  5. Exercises for Expanding this Activity
  6. Illinois Early Elementary Learning Standards in Science, Math, and English/Language Arts
  7. Illinois Late Elementary Learning Standards in Science, Math, and English/Language Arts
  8. National Science Education Standards

Introduction

The introduction to this lesson could include a discussion about space exploration, especially the Mars Pathfinder Mission and Sojouner, the robot used to explore the surface of Mars.

Here are some sample discussion questions:

  • Why do scientists want to study the surface of other planets?
  • How do scientists study the surface of other planets?
  • Why do scientists send robots to study the surface of other planets instead of going to the planets themselves?
  • What kind of energy is used to power the robots used in space? Why?
  • How do scientists on earth "talk" to the robots that are in space?

Overview

Lesson design by Tim Shedd, Chris Youtsey, Ben Lagow

During this hands-on, minds-on activity, students will be asked to build a self-propelled, wire-controlled vehicle. This activity demonstrates concepts related to electric circuits, motion, remote controlled planetary explorers, batteries, motors, and circuit diagrams. The activity is simple and inexpensive, yet it provides endless possiblities for expanding lesson plans and fulfilling learning standards.

Time: 90 minutes

Activity

To build the Planetary Rover you will need the following tools:

  • wire stripper
  • hammer
  • nails with various diameters (see step 1)
  • utility knife or scissors
  • ruler
  • goggles

For each Planetary Land Rover you will need the following materials:

  • four plastic 2 liter or 20 ounce bottle caps
  • one straw (bendable or non-bendable)
  • one short wooden skewer stick
  • two pieces of corrugated cardboard 4 inches wide by 5 inches long
  • duct tape (see step 4b)
  • two C batteries
  • one 6 foot length of 4 conductor telephone wire
  • two 1.5-3V DC motors
  • one battery holder for 2 C batteries
  • five paper fasteners
  • one large metal paper clip
  • two small metal paper clips
  • two rubber bands
  • ten 4 inch cable ties or six 8 inch cable ties

Note: If you feel your students might be unfamiliar with the tools and materials, you should review the tools and materials vocabulary with them before assembling the Planetary Land Rover.

Click one of the following to take you to a particular step:

  1. Front and Rear Wheels
  2. Stripping the Telephone Wire
  3. Building the Remote Control
  4. Building the Rear Axle
  5. Assembling the Front Wheels
  6. Attaching the Battery Holder to the Remote Control
  7. Attaching the Telephone Wire to the Remote Control
  8. Attaching the Battery Holder to the Remote Control
  9. Attaching the Front Wheels to the Rover
  10. Securing the Telephone Wire to the Rover
  11. Steering the Finished Rover

To view the steps with pictures, click here. It may take a moment to download all the images. You can also view any image by clicking on the picture icon at each step.

Step 1: Front and Rear Wheels

Find a nail that has the same diameter as the spindle of the motor. Use a hammer and that nail to punch a hole into the center of a bottle cap. Repeat this procedure for each of the front wheels.

Picture
Picture

Find a nail that has the same diameter as the skewer stick. Use a hammer and that nail to punch a hole into the center of a bottle cap. Repeat this procedure for each of the rear wheels.

Picture

Step 2: Stripping the Telephone Wire

Strip 6 inches of the plastic housing from each end of the wire. At each end of the wire, strip 1 inch of the plastic housing from the end of each of the four wires.

Picture
Picture

Step 3: Building the Remote Control

Place the large paper clip parallel to the short edge of a piece of cardboard. Secure the paper clip to the cardboard with two brass paper fasteners by pushing the fastener through the cardboard and bending each end to the cardboard.

Picture

At each end of the large paper clip, place a small paper clip perpendicular to it. The small paper clip should be positioned so that the edge of the small paper clip is touching the head of the brass fastener holding the large paper clip. Fasten each small paper clip with two brass fasteners.

Picture

Place a fifth brass fastener in the center of the cardboard, 1 inch from the end of the two small paper clips.

Picture

Step 4: Building the Rear Axle

Cut the skewer so that it is 5 inches long. Cut the straw so that it is 4 inches long.

Tape the straw parallel to the short side of the other piece of cardboard with duct tape 1/2 inch from the edge of the cardboard. This is now the body of the rover.

Place the skewer through the straw and put a bottle cap on each end of the skewer.

Picture

Step 5: Assembling the Front Wheels

Snap a bottle cap over the spindle of each motor.

Take one motor and thread the red wire through one of the two metal clips on the back of the motor. Twist the exposed wire to make a loop around the metal clip. Thread the green wire through the other metal clip on the same motor, twisting the exposed wire around the metal clip to make a loop.

Take the other motor and thread the black wire through one of the two metal clips on the back of the motor. Twist the exposed wire to make a loop around the metal clip. Thread the yellow wire through the other metal clip on the same motor, twisting the exposed wire around the metal clip to make a loop.

Picture
Picture

Step 6: Attaching the Battery Holder to the Remote Control

Strip 1 inch of insulation from both wires of the battery holder.

On the back of the remote control, wind the black wire from the battery holder around the bottom middle brass fastener.

Wind the red wire from the battery holder around the upper left brass fastener.

Picture

Step 7: Attaching the Telephone Wire to the Remote Control

Wrap the green and black wires from the telephone wire around the bottom middle brass fastener.

Wrap the yellow wire from the telephone wire around the lower left brass fastener.

Wrap the red wire from the telephone wire around the lower right brass fastener. The top right brass fastener is the only fastener that should not have a wire wrapped around it.

Picture

Put the batteries in the holder. Test the connections by touching each small paper clip to the large paper clip on the remote control. Be sure that both wheels spin in the same direction. If they spin in different directions, switch the wires on one of the motors. If a wheel does not spin at all, check the connection between the wire and the metal clip. (Note: Make sure that you hold the battery holder and the remote control securely when you test the connections since they are not attached to each other yet.)

Step 8: Attaching the Battery Holder to the Remote Control

Check to see if your battery holder has holes.

If your battery holder does have holes, punch 4 holes near the bottom of the remote control. Thread the cable ties through the remote control and through the battery holder. Tighten the cable tie to secure the battery holder to the remote control.

If your battery does not have holes, use duct tape to secure the battery holder to the remote control. Place the battery holder on the remote control and wrap duct tape around both sides of the remote control.

Picture
Picture

Step 9: Attach Front Wheels to Rover

Punch 4 holes at each of the two upper corners.

If you have 4 inch cable ties, you have to link two ties together. Thread the cable ties through the cardboard. Lay the motor between the holes and tighten cable ties to secure the motor. Trim the excess if necessary. Repeat for other motor.

Put a rubber band on each wheel of motor to increase traction.

Picture
Picture

Step 10: Securing the Telephone Wire to the Rover

To prevent damaging the connections between the telephone wire and the motors, duct tape the wire to the top of the remote control.

Picture
Picture

Step 11: Steering the Finished Rover

Place the rover on the ground and hold the remote control so that the paperclips are facing up. The small paperclips are used to steer the rover.

To steer the rover to the left, touch the left small paperclip to the left brass fastener that is securing the large paperclip.To steer the rover to the right, touch the right small paperclip to the right brass fastener that is securing the large paperclip.

Picture

To move the rover forward, touch both of the small paper clips to the brass fasteners that are securing the large paperclip.

Picture

Watch it go!

Student Worksheets

The Back of the Remote Control

To use this diagram, cut it out along the dark black line and glue or tape it to the back of the piece of cardboard you are using for the back of the Remote Control. Follow the step by step instructions for building the Land Rover and attach wires as indicated. Click here to open the image in a new window.

The front of the Remote Control

To use this diagram, cut it out along the dark black line and glue or tape it to the back of the piece of cardboard you are using for the front of the Remote Control. Follow the step by step instructions for building the Land Rover and attach wires as indicated. Click here to open the image in a new window.

Attaching the Wheels of the Rover

To use this diagram, cut it out along the dark black line and glue or tape it to a piece of cardboard which is the same size. Then follow the step by step instructions for building the Land Rover. Click here to view the image in a new window.

Assessment

Our assessment methods were the same for Illinois and National Standards.

Our assessment methods were the same and for Early and late Elementary School students. What changed was the level of the questions asked and the discussion.

We used informal assessment methods in the form of verbal questions and discussion. Formal methods of assessment included drawings, and written answers to questions, and the development of articles for the BOAST Kids Newsletter.

During the Lesson

The participants used inquiry strategies to successfully build the Planetary Land Rover. Then they tested the device and reported on its use. Throughout the lesson, the participants discussed the inter-relationships between science, technology, and society. A sampling of student writings concerning this activity can be found below in the Reactions to this Activity section.

During the lesson, a BOAST staff member had difficulty building the electric circuit for her Planetary Land Rover and mentioned this fact to Chavez, a kindergarten student. Chavez offered his help a proceeded to build the circuit without help and then immediately try it out to see if it worked. It did! This is one example of the kind of hands-on, minds-on science which occurs during these types of lessons.

At the End of the Lesson

At the conclusion of the lesson, a discussion was held to determine the level of participant understanding concerning the building to the Planetary Land Rover and its relationship to the Mars Pathfinder Mission.

Here is a sample of questions from that discussion

  • What kind of energy is used to power your Planetary Land Rover?
  • Describe the Planetary Land Rover's electrical circuit.
  • How do you steer your Planetary Land Rover?
  • How is the Planetary Land Rover you built similar to the Sojourner?
  • How is the Planetary Land Rover you built different to the Sojourner?

Each of the children who participated in the lesson was able to answer these questions at his/her own level.

The Next Day

An unexpected assessment opportunity took place the day after this lesson. Two second grade students, James and Laycell, took their Planetary Land Rovers to their classrooms and asked the teacher if they could show them to the class. They took their Planetary Land Rovers apart in front of their classmates, explained how each of the parts worked, and then reassembled their Planetary Land Rovers for them. James and Laycell would not usually offer to talk in front of the class, but their enthusiasm for and confidence about building the Planetary Land Rover made this possible.

Reactions to this Activity

Planets and Cars

by Gary, Grade 1, and Katie, University Volunteer

Ellen drove us to the university. When we got there, we sat down and watched Ellen. She was telling us what we were going to do that night. After that, I got to work with Heather. She helped me put together the race car. We put the cardboard, batteries, wires, wheels and straws together to make the race car. Then we took the car into the hallway to see if it would go. The race car went super fast! It went all the way down the stairs and bumped its head! We had a lot of fun.

My Land Rover

by James, Grade 2, and Jenny, University Volunteer

The space car we made was really cool because it works just like the Land Rover that went to Mars to take pictures. We made it with batteries that made electricity. Ellen and Samantha helped me build it. After we built it, I brought it to school to show my friends and my teacher. Everyone thought it was really cool!

Planetary Land Rovers

by Quintrell, Grade 2

You can drive a planetary land rover. You can push the buttons on the remote control to make it move.

The planetary land rover is made with cardboard. The batteries power it. The motors make the wheels go. The wheels spin when it moves. The paperclips are the buttons on the remote control. The tires are made with rubber bands.

I liked my partner. My partner helped me make my Planetary Land Rover.

Exercises for Expanding the Planetary Land Rover Lesson

Single Motor and Battery Exercise

Directions:

  1. Strip 6 inches of the plastic housing from each end of the wire.
  2. At each end of the wire, strip 1 inch of the plastic housing from the end of each of the four wires.
    Picture
    Picture
  3. Snap a bottle cap over the spindle of each motor.
  4. Take one motor and thread the red wire through one of the two metal clips on the back of the motor.
  5. Twist the exposed wire to make a loop around the metal clip.
  6. Thread the green wire through the other metal clip on the same motor, twisting the exposed wire around the metal clip to make a loop.
    Picture
  7. Touch the other ends of those wires to the battery to make the motor spin.

Discussion Activity and Questions:

  • Draw a picture of the wires, battery and motor showing where you put the wires to make the motor spin.
  • Describe how to change the connections to make the motor spin in the opposite direction.

Planetary Land Rover Obstacle Course

Directions:

  1. Build the Planetary Land Rover as indicated in Steps 1 - 10.
  2. Design an obstacle course for the Planetary Land Rover which simulates the surface of Mars.

Illinois Learning Standards that Apply to this Lesson

The following standards are from the Illinois Learning Standards, adopted by the Illinois State Board of Education on July 25, 1997. Take a look at the complete Illinois Learning Standards for Science, or English/Language Arts.

Early Elementary

As a result of their schooling, students will be able to:

Subject Goal Standard Application to
this Lesson
Science State Goal 11: Understand the processes of scientific inquiry and technological design to investigate questions, conduct experiments, and solve problems. B. Know and apply the concepts, principles, and processes of technological design.
  • 1c. Build the device using the tools and materials provided.
  • 1d. Test the device and record the results using given instruments, techniques, and measurement tools.
  • 1e. Report the design of the device, the test process and the results in solving a given problem.
The rover was designed by a graduate student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. For more details see the step by step instructions. For 1d and 1e, see the assessment section.
Science State Goal 13: Understand the relationships among science, technology, and society in historical and contemporary contexts. B. Know and apply concepts that describe the interaction between science, technology, and society.
  • 1c. Describe contributions men and women have made to science and technology.
  • 1d. Identify and describe ways that science and technology affect people's everyday lives(e.g., transportation, medicine, agriculture, sanitation, communication occupations).
During the post-activity discussion, the contributions of the Mars Pathfinder and Sojourner to science and technology will be discussed.
English/Language Arts State Goal 1: Read with understanding and fluency. C. Comprehend a broad range of reading materials.
  • 1a. Use information to form questions and verify predictions.
During this exercise, participants will comprehend instructions and diagrams. They will also answer questions about their rovers.
English/Language Arts State Goal 3: Write to communicate to a variety of purposes. C. Communicate ideas in writing to accomplish a variety of purposes.
  • 1a. Write for a variety of purposes including description, information, explanation, persuasion, and narration.
  • 1b. Create media compositions or productions which convey meaning visually for a variety of purposes.
Participants will describe and explain their rovers. Participants will also draw a picture of their design.
English/Language Arts State Goal 4: Listen and speak effectively in a variety of situations. A. Listen effectively in formal and informal situations.
  • 1b. Ask questions and respond to questions from the teacher and from group members to improve comprehension.
  • 1c. Follow oral instructions accurately.
B. Speak effectively using language appropriate to the situation and audience.
  • 1a. Present brief oral reports, using language and vocabulary appropriate to the message and audience (e.g., show and tell).
  • 1b. Participate in discussions around a common topic.
Participants will respond to questions in formal and informal settings during the hands-on science lesson. Participants will discuss how their rovers work and attempt to fix any problems that exist with their project.

Late Elementary

As a result of their schooling, students will be able to:

Subject Goal Standard Application to
this Lesson
Science State Goal 11: Understand the processes of scientific inquiry and technological design to investigate questions, conduct experiments and solve problems. B. Know and apply the concepts, principles, and processes of technological design.
  • 2c. Build a prototype of the design using available tools and materials.
  • 2d. Test the prototype using suitable instruments, techniques, and quantitative measurements to record data.
  • 2e. Assess test results and the effectiveness of the design using given criteria and noting possible sources of error.
  • 2f. Report test design, test process, and test results.
The rover was designed by a graduate student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. For more details see the step by step instructions. For 1d and 1e, see the assessment section.
Science State Goal 13: Understand the relationships among science, technology and society in historical and contemporary contexts. B. Know and apply the concepts that describe the interaction between science, technology, and society.
  • 2a. Explain how technology is used in science for a variety of purposes (e.g., sample collection, storage and treatment; measurement; data collection, storage and retrieval; communication of information).
  • 2b. Describe the effects on society of scientific and technological innovations (e.g., antibiotics, steam engine, digital computer).
  • 2c. Identify and explain ways that science and technology influence the lives and careers of people.
During the post-activity discussion, the contributions of the Mars Pathfinder and Sojourner to science and technology will be discussed.
English/Language Arts State Goal 1: Read with understanding and fluency. C. Read with understanding and fluency.
  • 2a. Use information to form and refine questions and predictions.
  • 2d. Summarize and make generalizations from content and relate to purpose of material.
During this exercise, participants will comprehend instructions and diagrams. They will also answer questions about their rovers
English/Language Arts State Goal 4: Listen and speak effectively in a variety of situations. B. Speak effectively using language appropriate to the situation and audience.
  • 2b. Ask and respond to questions related to oral presentations and messages in small and large group settings.
Participants will respond to questions in formal and informal settings during the hands-on science lesson. Participants will discuss how their rovers work and attempt to fix any problems that exist with their project.

National Science Education Standards that Apply to this Lesson

This is one lesson in a unit on space. During the unit participants learned about the solar system and man-made space craft. This particular lesson's focus is physical science as it applies to learning about space and space craft.

Take a look at the complete National Science Education Standards.

Standard Level Application to this Lesson
6.1 Science as Inquiry K-4, 5-8, 9-12
Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry		 Participants will use scientific reasoning and critical thinking to build and operate a wire-controlled, battery- operated, self- propelled vehicle from a design blueprint.
Understanding about scientific inquiry Participants will ask questions, conduct investigations, and gather information to help them understand how each component of the vehicle works alone and as part of a whole.
6.2 Physical Science K-4
Properties of objects and materials		 Participants learned the names of the materials used to build the vehicle.
Position and motion of objects Particpants learned about how a motor works.
Light, heat, electricity, and magnetism Participants learned how to build an electric circuit. (See Step by Step Instructions for more details)
5-8, 9-12 Motions and Forces Participants learned about how a motor works and about electric circuits.
6.4 Earth and Space Science K-4
Objects in the sky		 Participants learned about the Pathfinder mission to Mars. (See NASA's Mars Pathfinder Project Information for more details.)
6.5 Science and Technology K-4, 5-8, 9-12 Abilities of technological design and understanding about science and technology Participants were involved in a discussion comparing the vehicle they built with the actual Mars Path Finder vehicle.