Building a car using science Workshop

How to have useful construction workshops.
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Speedster
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Building a car using science Workshop

Post by Speedster »

I posted earlier about a workshop to build cars using science for 100 Girl Scouts. I am connected with the Program Director for The Girl Scouts of Western Ohio. The Girl Scouts spent $800.00 for Hodges H 57 wedge cars, tubes of BSA wheels and nails, lead rod and big bottles of graphite. I agreed to supply the rest. The Council for The Girl Scouts of Western Ohio had no problem with what we were going to teach - Physics. I knew I was going to have trouble with enough time so I was going to prep one wheel bore with Novus 2 and lube properly one wheel to save time. No painting would be done and I wouldn't use Duct tape to give the car a little color. These cars were never intended to race. The whole purpose was to teach the scouts what to do on the next car they built.

Yesterday the Workshop was cancelled. Troop Leaders, NOT the Council, called and began insisting No pre-cut cars, scouts must draw out the design, the cars would not be allowed in any Regulation Girl Scout Race . This Negativity spread like Wildfire on Social Media. I don't know how the Program Director put up with it as long as she did. She had finally had enough and cancelled the Activity. Who suffered the Most? The young scouts. I do feel sorry for them.
Yes, I learned a lot from this experience. Probably the most important thing was the Advertising was no where detailed enough. We'll keep trying.

On the Bright side, The Director has set up a workshop in her Home town and already has 60 Girl Scouts. It's a 1 1/2 hour drive for me, will be held in January, and I'll be there. I hope we don't get 14" of snow that day.
Cheers,
Speedster
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whodathunkit
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Building a car using science Workshop

Post by whodathunkit »

Keep your chin up Speedster!
And if you get that 14" of snow
better brake out the snowmobile for
the drive!

If the child likes the looks of a precut car !
And can draw it out on the block then cut it out to look like it was a precut out car design in the workshop things would change.





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What type of automobile can be spelled the same forwards & backwards?
Speedster
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Re: Building a car using science Workshop

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Whoda,that was actually discussed but out of the question. One of my workshop helpers has left scouts and another is in Florida. Cutting cars, sanding cars, spreading axle holes and raising a slot for a 3 wheeler takes a lot of time and it's a lot of repetitious work. With Hodges cars all I had to do was spread axle slots and raise one slot for a 3 wheeler. I did that. No cutting and no sanding. I weighed all the cars and took 50 of the lightest cars. The blocks actually weighed from 49 grams to 65 grams. The heavy cars messed up the CG and I set them aside. You do understand the scouts do not get their choice of design. The wedge shaped car is the Best design for speed when you follow science and that's where we start. This isn't about Hershey bar cars and tungsten and it's not about the "Best Design" category. This work shop is all about learning what makes a car go FAST - Physics. I couldn't allow anyone to change anything about this workshop. All I know I learned from Derbytalk.com. This is a No Nonsense web site. I'm looking forward to traveling to Ottoville, Ohio. I hope the traffic isn't too heavy in Ottoville. I wonder if they bother to plow the snow off the streets.
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whodathunkit
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Building a car using science Workshop

Post by whodathunkit »

I know what your saying Speedster!
Even with a pre cut kit if the physics
are not there the car will not preform
at its best.
Same holds true for the block kits!
So thanks for what you do in workshops teaching physics.

From the sound of things on the snow outlook..
Your talking about!
Might need to attach a snow blower on the front bumper as well.. let's hope not!

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What type of automobile can be spelled the same forwards & backwards?
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