Volleyball Machine Challenge for Grades 3-5
Summary
This engineering project is based on the "Beach Volleyball" friendly competition designed by employees of Fluor Corporation located in Southern California.
Overview
Teach your students about the engineering design process with this fun lesson plan. They will design and build two "volleyball machines" that launch a ping pong ball back and forth over a net. While the 2019 Fluor Engineering Challenge is over, your students can still try this project and compare their scores to top scores from around the world! Teachers, note that middle school and high school versions of this lesson plan are also available.
Looking for this year's challenge? Check out our main Fluor Engineering Challenge page for all the latest information, including for a chance to win a cash prize for your school or nonprofit!
Learning Objectives
- Design and build "volleyball machines" based on specified criteria.
- Iteratively test and modify the machines to improve their performance.
NGSS Alignment
This lesson helps students prepare for these Next Generation Science Standards Performance Expectations:- 3-5-ETS1-3. Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.
| Science & Engineering Practices | Disciplinary Core Ideas | Crosscutting Concepts | |||
| Science & Engineering Practices | Planning and Carrying Out Investigations.
Make observations and/or measurements to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence for an explanation of a phenomenon or test a design solution. |
Disciplinary Core Ideas | ETS1.B: Developing Possible Solutions.
Tests are often designed to identify failure points or difficulties, which suggest the elements of the design that need to be improved. |
Crosscutting Concepts | Cause and Effect.
Cause and effect relationships are routinely identified, tested, and used to explain change. |
Materials
| Construction Materials | ||
|---|---|---|
| Item | Maximum Quantity | Point cost (each) |
| Corrugated cardboard (max size 12"x12" or 30x30 cm) | 2 | 10 |
| Large paper or plastic cups (16–18 oz, or about 450–500 mL) | 10 | 5 |
| Wooden craft sticks (4 ½" or 11.5 cm) | 20 | 1 |
| Paper (printer/copier paper, not construction paper or cardstock; letter or A4 size) | 20 | 1 |
| Wooden pencils (circular or hexagonal cross-section, approx. 7–8" or 18–20 cm length) | 20 | 1 |
| Rubber bands (size 32, 3" long unstretched and 1/8" wide) | 10 | 2 |
| Roll of clear adhesive tape (Scotch® tape or equivalent, 1/2" or 3/4" width, max length 500") | 1 | 10 |
| Tools and Testing Materials (no point cost) | |
| Item | Notes |
| Paper and pencil | For sketching design ideas |
| Scissors | For cutting construction materials |
| Sheets of paper (2) | For making net |
| Tape | For holding net to floor/table |
| Ruler | For checking net dimensions |
| Ping pong ball | |
Note: material costs are not pro-rated. For example, if you use any tape, it still costs the entire 10 points, even if you do not use the whole roll.
Background Information for Teachers
This section contains a quick review for teachers of the science and concepts covered in this lesson.In this lesson, your students will use readily available craft/office supplies to build two devices that can launch a ball back and forth over a net, similar to the game of volleyball (although in this case, the devices are allowed to catch the ball). The 2019 Fluor Engineering Challenge had specific rules and limits on what materials students could use. You can choose to follow the same rules, or just use this lesson as an inspiration. If you have not already, watch this video for an introduction to the challenge.
Optionally, you could link this challenge to other science or engineering topics in your classroom. There is more information about these topics in the Additional Background section.
- Simple machines: use the project to learn about simple machines like the lever and the inclined plane. How can simple machines be combined to form a more complex machine that can launch a ball?
- Engineering design: you can use this project to walk your students through the engineering design process. They probably will not build a perfect machine on their first try. Instead, they will need to iteratively test and redesign their launcher/receiver in order to improve the design.
