Sports Equipment Engineering Challenge

Background Information for Teachers

People play many different sports, most of which use something like a bat, racquet, club, or stick to hit a ball or a puck (Figure 1). For example, in some sports, players hit a ball that is still (golf); in some, two people hit a ball back and forth (tennis); and in others, two teams compete to hit a ball into a goal (field hockey). In general, these objects are used to change the speed or direction of the ball by pushing it or hitting it. However, depending on the sport, they have different sizes and shapes. For example, a tennis racquet is short, wide, and held with one hand, while a baseball bat is long, skinny, and held with two hands.

Image Credit: Pixabay user Clker-Free-Vector-Images / Pixabay License Image Credit: Pixabay user Clker-Free-Vector-Images / Pixabay License Image Credit: Pixabay user OpenClipart-Vectors / Pixabay License
Figure 1. Different types of sports equipment used to hit balls or pucks.

In this lesson, you will guide your students through the engineering design process as they design and build their own sports equipment, which they will use to hit a ball. Engineers solve real-world problems by designing and building new things or improving existing ones. Your students will think like engineers as they first discuss what problem they need to solve. Then, they will make sketches of their designs, and build and test them.

For more information about how pushes and pulls can change the motion of an object, and about the engineering design process, see the Additional Background section.

Additional Background Links

• Push and Pull Lesson Plan, Science Buddies
• The Engineering Design Process, Science Buddies

Prep Work (10 minutes)

• Collect recyclable materials. You will need enough for each student to use, so you should start in advance. Collect them from other classrooms or ask students to bring some in from home.
• If you are using duct tape with younger students, cut pieces in advance.
• If needed, rearrange furniture so you have some open floor space as a testing area and place several chairs or desks as "goals."

Engage (5 minutes)

1. Tell your students that, today, we want to play a game in which we hit a ball through a goal (between two legs of a chair or table). You are not allowed to use your hands or your feet to touch the ball—you have to use an object to hit it. However, we do not have any equipment handy so we will have to build our own! Explain to students that they will be engineers as they build their own sports equipment using recycled materials.
2. Show the students the materials they have available to work with.
3. Show your students pictures of sports equipment. You can use Figure 1 in the Background section or look up more pictures online.

   What are all these things used for?

   They are all used to hit a ball or a puck. When they hit the ball/puck, they make it move.

   Why do you think the different objects all have different shapes?

   They have different shapes because they are all used for different sports. The shape depends on what is needed for that sport. The shape depends on what is needed for that sport

Explore (30 minutes)

1. Ask each student to draw their own design for sports equipment that they could build using the materials they have available. Then they should show their design to their partner and discuss it. Optional: If your students are stuck, you can provide them with some ideas or demonstrations. For example, show them how they could tape together two cardboard tubes or several plastic bottles to make a handle.
2. Each pair of students should work together to build their designs. It may be easier for them to work together to build one design at a time. For example, one person can hold parts in place while the other person applies tape.
3. When ready, the students can go to the testing area to test their devices. One at a time, they should place a ball on the ground about 6 feet (2 meters) in front of the goal, then try to hit it into the goal. Watch carefully and discuss what happened. Did the device work? Did the ball go straight? Did it go far enough to make it through the goal?
4. Optional: Let students use markers or other art supplies to decorate their devices.
5. If there is enough space in your classroom (or if you can go outside or to the gym), let students play a "floor hockey" style game with their devices.

Reflect (15 minutes)

1. Do a brief show-and-tell where each student shows the rest of the class what they built.
2. As a class, discuss the different things students built. For example:
   • Did any two people build things that looked similar? Did anyone build something unique, which no one else built?
   • What problems did they encounter when building and testing?
   • If they had time to build another one, what would they change?

Assess

Collect your students' drawings. Optionally, you can ask students to explain to you (or their partner) whether what they built matches what they drew. If not, why did they change it?

Make Career Connections

Discussing or reading about these careers can help students make important connections between the in-class lesson and STEM job opportunities in the real world.

Mechanical Engineer

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Career Profile

When you hear "mechanical engineer," you might think of machines. But mechanical engineers design lots of other things! Read more

Lesson Plan Variations

• Let students swap equipment and try out each other's devices.
• Remember that different sports use devices with very different shapes. Have your students try using their devices in different scenarios. Which ones are best for hitting the ball the farthest? Which ones are best for hitting a ball accurately into the goal? Which ones are best for stopping a ball that is already moving?