Students investigate how ancient Egyptians used chariot technology to move people, products, and ideas, then apply concepts of force, mass, motion, gravity, and speed to an engineering challenge. After observing a model demonstration, teams design, build, measure, test, and revise a functional chariot using performance data and peer and teacher feedback. A traffic accident reconstruction specialist connects speed, distance, time, forces, and vehicle design to modern transportation safety. Students present their final chariots and evidence-based explanations at a school showcase, then reflect on their scientific understanding, design improvements, problem-solving, communication, and teamwork.

Students will explain how ancient Egyptian chariot technology addressed transportation needs and how environmental, social, political, and economic factors influenced the movement of people, products, and ideas. They will investigate how force and mass affect changes in motion and use distance and time data to calculate and compare speed. In teams, students will design, build, test, critique, and revise a functional model chariot using evidence from trials, peer and teacher feedback, and insights from a traffic accident reconstruction specialist. Students will present their chariot at a community showcase, connect its performance to modern transportation safety, and reflect on their scientific understanding, problem-solving, communication, teamwork, and next steps.

Teams will create an ancient Egyptian chariot design brief with labeled sketches explaining its transportation purpose, materials, wheel design, and historical context. During construction, they will produce a working prototype, test-data records for force, mass, distance, time, and speed, and a revision log incorporating peer, teacher, and specialist feedback. Each team will build an improved model chariot and prepare a visual presentation using evidence to explain its performance and connections to ancient technology, the movement of people and products, modern transportation, and vehicle safety. Students will display and demonstrate their chariots at a school-community showcase, then complete an individual reflection on academic growth, design challenges, teamwork, communication, problem-solving, and future improvements.

Begin with a live demonstration of two model chariots with different masses and wheel designs, asking students to predict and measure how far and fast each travels when pushed with the same force. Teams examine images and replicas of ancient Egyptian chariots to identify how transportation technology supported movement of people, products, and ideas. Students record observations, discuss how force, mass, wheels, and motion affected performance, and generate questions for a traffic accident reconstruction specialist. Conclude by presenting the essential question and having teams sketch an initial chariot design to test and improve throughout the project.

Host a school “Chariot Engineering Showcase” for classmates, teachers, families, and community members, including the Portage County Sheriff’s Office traffic accident reconstruction specialist. Teams will demonstrate their functional chariots on a test track, share distance, time, speed, mass, and force data, and explain how testing and peer feedback shaped revisions. Each student will take a speaking or demonstration role connecting ancient Egyptian transportation technology to modern vehicle design and safety. Visitors can offer feedback, and students will conclude by reflecting on their science learning, problem-solving, communication, teamwork, challenges, and next design improvements.