Standards Addressed by the Interactive Car Comparison

The interactive web activity was designed for use by upper elementary students to meet a variety of Science Content Standards, as described in the National Science Education Standards (NSES)at Grades 5-8.

Science as Inquiry

This activity helps students to meet the Science as Inquiry Standards by providing a forum for them to design cars and investigate how various options on the cars change the fuel efficiency, the pollution rating, and the safety of the car. Specifically, this activity can be used to help meet the standards listed below.

• Identify questions that can be answered through scientific investigations

• Design and conduct a scientific investigation

• Use appropriate tools and techniques to gather, analyze, and interpret data

• Develop descriptions, explanations, predictions, and models using evidence

• Think critically and logically to make the relationship between evidence andexplanations

• Recognize and analyze alternative explanations and prediction

Science and Technology

The Science and Technology Standards in the middle school call for students to begin to differentiate between pure science and the application of scientific principles for technological or engineering applications. The interactive web activity, Car Comparison, allows students to design a car and investigate the performance of their designs. Specifically, this activity can be used to help meet the standards listed below.

• Design a solution or product

• Implement a proposed design

• Evaluate completed technological designs or products

• Communicate the process of technological design

Science in Personal and Social Perspective

In Grades 5-8, students are making more sophisticated connections between their personal lives and their communities and environments. The Science in Personal and Social Perspective Standards seek to describe how these connections are related to a students' science learning. The Car Comparison helps students make the connection between their use of common resources, like cars, and the effect that the use of these resources can have on the environment and on their safety, because of the safety and pollution ratings given for each car design. Specifically, this activity can be used to help meet the standards listed below.

• Risks and benefits

• Science and technology in society

History and Nature of Science

The nature of scientific investigations can be conveyed to students when they are allowed to manipulate variables and assess the consequences of their manipulations. This process is an integral part of the interactive web activity on car features. This type of investigation helps to meet the content standards described under the History and Nature of Science. Specifically, this activity can be used to help meet the standards listed below.

• Science as a human endeavor

• Nature of science

Car Comparison

Web Resources for Car Comparison