Center for Computer-Integrated Surgical Systems & Technology (CISST)

Safe Racer Competition Wins Young Minds for STEM

Getting young students interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics during the elementary school years is vital to the Nation's future.. With support from the Engineering Research Center for Computer-Integrated Surgical Systems and Technology (ERC CISST) at Johns Hopkins University, MBNA Motorsports, and NASCAR, Dr. Leigh Abts spearheaded the Safe Racer Competition for Baltimore County elementary schools. Focusing on the Maryland Voluntary State Curriculum, the competition's Challenge Problem is to design and develop a fast, open-topped sports car and suitable safety equipment to enable the racing driver, Egbert (an uncooked egg), to (1) survive an accident in practice when his racing car crashes into a barrier, and (2) go on to win the Cup.

The activity consists of four main components: a written report, an oral report, a car entry and a car performance demonstration. Each elementary school has trials to select the competing team from that school. Teams consist of 3-4 students. In the Safe Racer competition, students demonstrate the thinking and acting inherent in the practice of science. They use scientific skills processes to explain the interactions of matter and energy and the energy transformations that occur.

Safe Racer is now formally part of the required Baltimore County Curriculum for elementary schools to connect Science and Math through engineering design concepts. Over 130 schools and over 9,000 students from diverse backgrounds took this course in 2004—a big step in getting elementary children to discover the wonders of math and science through playing and tinkering with engineering design concepts.

To learn more about this topic:
Visit the Center for Computer-Integrated Surgical Systems & Technology web site at http://cisstweb.cs.jhu.edu/ and the Baltimore Public Schools web site at http://www.bcps.org/offices/science/safe_racer.html

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The egg drop—made it safely!

The speed trials.

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Last modified: February 17, 2005