Lesson 1: Cable Car Challenge

Back to Lesson 1

Challenge

Design a cable car capable of traversing the width of the room with a 1 kg mass using miscellaneous materials.

Required Setup

• A fishing line taped or tied across the width of the room
• The line set at a 3 to 5 degree angle below normal of the wall from the starting point

Suggested Materials

• Fishing line or string
• Tape or ties for setup
• Building materials from the lesson supply list
• 1 kg mass for testing

Goal for Your Team

Build a design that can move from the starting point to the end of the line while safely carrying the required mass.

TODO

• Add a student worksheet for defining the problem, constraints, and success criteria.
• Add step-by-step build and testing instructions for the cable car challenge.
• Add a planning section for sketching ideas and selecting materials.
• Add a test data table for recording distance traveled, load carried, and design changes.
• Add reflection questions tied to the engineering design process used in Lesson 1.