Introduction to Mousetraps Racers 8 Chapter 1- Getting Started 12 Chapter 2- Understanding Mousetraps Racers 24 Chapter 3- Mousetrap Racer Projects 48 Chapter 4- Advanced Models and Contruction Techniques 92 Chapter 5- Just in case Techniques 110 Chapter 6- Advanced Science Labs 116
Doc Fizzix-Alden J. Balmer-is an award-winning physics teacher from McNeil High School in Round Rock Independent School District and the 1996 Texas Science Teacher of the Year. Doc Fizzix has appeared on several nationally aired television programs and has been featured in many magazines including: "The Science Teacher," "Boys' Life," "Web Page Design," "Physics Today," and more.
This new book for teachers and families wanting to encourage
education while having fun, provides a step-by-step guide that
introduces physics concepts while facilitating the construction of
a champion mouse-trap racer.
Certainly a fun project for kids of Middle School age.
Kids are naturally curious. They love to build stuff and projects
that involve cars will entertain children for hours. In this guide
written by a Teacher-of-the-Year winner, your kids will learn how
to construct race cars from ordinary, affordable household
materials, while learning the science behind how they work, in
language easy enough for a 7th grader to understand. With color
photos, diagrams, fun illustrations, and four complete projects,
your family will be racing vehicles that go the distance and go for
the gold!
Most Creative Solution to the Fuel Crisis: Doc Fizzix Mousetrap
Racers by Alden J. Balmer, a guide to constructing
mousetrap-powered vehicles. (Fox Chapel Publishing)
Gr 6 Up-Building a mousetrap-powered model racer is more complex
than it first appears, and Balmer uses this project as a
springboard for teaching principles of physics such as energy,
forces, torque, friction, and traction. Given the recommended tools
and potential hazards (mousetrap springs, superglue, a drill
press), it's clear that this activity is not intended for young or
unsupervised children. The author's enthusiasm for the topic and
for teaching are apparent throughout, and his focus on safety is
consistent. The thorough instructions are complemented by clear,
captioned, full-color photos and line drawings and diagrams that
illustrate each step of the construction process. The book contains
directions for four racers, with possible variations and
modifications added in a section on advanced techniques. Principles
of mousetrap racing are presented along with related lab
experiments, formulae, tables, and calculations suitable for
science fairs. An attractive introduction to a challenging,
educational hobby.-Jeffrey A. French, formerly at
Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library, Willowick, OH
Turn everyday household items into an afternoon of fun with
"Mousetrap Racers: The Complete Builder's Manual. Build racecars
while learning the science behind how they work.
Image of a Mousetrap Racer and title of Doc Fizzix made the cover
of Model Retailer Magazine.
Doc Fizzix Mousetrap Racers, by Alden J. Balmer, has almost nothing
to do with woodworking, but just might produce a future woodworker.
The book teaches children how to build race cars from ordinary
contraptions, such as a mousetrap. It not only gives them the basic
construction secrets to design and build a vehicle, but also
unearths the science behind how they work, in a language easy
enough for a seventh-grader to understand. Using clear
instructions, color photography, diagrams and numerous
illustrations, Dox Fizzix, and his Jetson-like team of robots, walk
children through four complete projects for building different
vehicles. Hey, it's not always about making sawdust.
Winners of a mousetrap racer competition know that physics is their
friend! The design and function of a winning mousetrap car must
utilize Newton's Laws of Motion, and this guide reviews both the
science and engineering processes needed for a great project.
Starting with a simple but effective mousetrap, this book guides
readers through the steps necessary for acquiring the proper
building materials, planning the design, developing knowledge of
why and how the racer may run, and what must be done to construct
the device. Readers will learn the skills necessary to analyze the
task and work with the design until a racer can be completed to
specifications for a defined task. The racer might be required to
travel the greatest distance, travel fastest, navigate a track, or
perform a designed function to go to a point, stop, and return.
Once the decision is made on what the racer is to do, the designer
must apply the principles of motion to achieve the goal. Diagrams
and photographs provide clarification for the detailed printed
instructions on building various types of racers for speed,
distance, or performance goals. The energy of the mousetrap spring
delivers the power to propel the racer, and the design is tweaked
to improve performance to the championship level using various
hints on how to reduce drag, increase traction, control direction,
and other factors. Included in the book are definitions of the
scientific terms and understandings necessary for success in this
activity, ideas for types of contests, lab activities, and
illustrations of supplies, assembly, and designing. Tips are
provided for safety during assembly as the procedures are explained
and illustrated. This book will capture the interest of both
students and teachers who want to find fun in learning and achieve
recognition that is not refutable. Once the goal is set, the racer
either meets or exceeds the standard by completing the task. There
can be no mistake that the knowledge was understood and applied as
demonstrated by the path of the racer. Time spent in perfecting the
design is reward in itself, but when there is a competition and
recognitions are attached, students have greater motivation. The
author use this activity as a final assessment that replaced an
exam. Students, parents, and teachers who read this book will
become engaged in both mastery of content and engineering skills as
they exercise their need for competitive activities and mastery in
their learning environment. The paperbound book, whether used as a
lesson plan or provided as a source for hobbyist, is a good size,
colorful, and written in an interesting manner. It might not last
long in a library setting, but it would be a good addition to the
classroom and home shelf for the students who are visual or tactile
learners. See the original review at here.
This complete manual will guarantee your success in building the
fastest and most aerodynamic mousetrap racer yet! Divided into
great sections like: Tools and Supplies You May Need, Understanding
Mousetrap Racers, and Mousetrap Racer Projects like Little Moe,
Basic Racer, and Big Wheel Racer, this book will help you along
each step of the construction process.
Mousetrap Racers: The Complete Builder's Manual ($14.95) may be the
one book you add to your homeschool curriculum collection that gets
dad more involved in your homeschool. It is not curriculum in the
sense of a textbook or a unit study guide. However, Mousetrap
Racers is definitely a great learning tool. Written by Alden J.
Balmer, also known as "Doc Fizzix", this book goes beyond the
how-to-build-it instructions the title implies; it explains the
physics behind mousetrap cars as it gives both details and
easy-to-follow directions for building. Reading through the text
and studying the many detailed illustrations, it is easy to forget
you're learning about principles like friction (fluid and surface),
motion, traction, and energy. While most of the "academics" are
snugly hidden in Chapter 2, the principles are reinforced
throughout the text. Some of the illustrations are humorous, and
all of them are clear. More advanced racers and building techniques
are presented later in the book. Included in these are Doc Fizzix's
super-secret tips for improving distance racers. Of course, we
won't spoil the fun by revealing these. Suffice it to say, both dad
and child will probably want to move on to more advanced methods of
building better and faster cars. For those who do get hooked, there
is a chapter devoted to "just in case techniques" and a chapter on
advanced science labs. Do these and give your student credit for
having a good time learning important physics concepts. Any home
center has an ample supply of mousetraps, but what about the guy
who just wants a kit? We went out and bought parts at the home
center and acquired several PSA discs from a local radio station to
serve as wheels. That's probably the most economical way to get the
goods you need to build a racer. For those who would prefer a kit,
Doc Fizzix has a website devoted to all things mousetrap racing at
www.docfizzix.com. There are kits, science labs, and building
guides for all types of racers--balloon, rubber band, and, of
course, mousetraps. The first step is to get your hands on a copy
of Mousetrap Racers: The Complete Builder's Manual, the definitive
guide for the dad who wants a fun way to get his feet wet as a
homeschool teacher.
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