Engineering Students are Racing to Success

Students in Introduction to Engineering Design classes at Somers High School got a hands-on experience with a new project while building downhill derby cars this year.

Introduction to Engineering Design runs for four sections with teacher Edward Amato at the helm. Amato created a class that focuses on many different aspects of the International Baccalaureate program, including a statement of inquiry, key content, and global context, while also considering how students want to learn.

“Engineering isn’t always exciting... It can be heavy on math, planning, and documentation,” said Amato. “But students kept asking for more hands-on work. Experience with tools and materials is good for the soul—and that’s the kind of learning that sticks with you. The downhill derby project gives them a chance to design, build, test, and actually see their ideas come to life.”

Students started the process of designing their derby cars by using an engineering notebook to help them plan and design their cars. Their notebooks are used to capture daily reflections on their progress, design sketches, notes, and ideas. Using notebooks as a tool helped the students to be accountable for their progress and reflect on strategies that were already working or needed improvement.

“Our goal for the class was to create a car that was able to go down a hill without any motorized parts,” said Gigi Vincentz.

“We wanted to be able to sit cross-legged while driving it, so it would be comfortable and stable,” said Tydeus Rodrigues.

Each small group of students was given a downhill derby kit, which included four wheels, a steering wheel, and a steering linkage, along with basic assembly instructions for those parts. Each team also received a disassembled pallet they could use to build the rest of their vehicle. Students began by sketching ideas and planning in their engineering notebooks, then created small-scale models using popsicle sticks to test their designs. From there, they used CAD software to draw and refine specific components before building the full-size car using simple tools, such as drills, screwdrivers, and saws, to bring their ideas to life.

“We wanted to do something a little different, so ours has a race car feel and design,” said Carmelo Gioffre.

As building progressed, students checked their design strengths and weaknesses with real-world tests. In some cases, that meant a student sitting in the car to check the durability and dimensions. In other cases, it meant taking the cars outside to test the braking system, which students had to build themselves. While testing the brakes, students recorded the distance, control, and performance of the brakes to determine if they needed improvements to increase safety and security.

The project culminated with a downhill derby race on the school grounds. One student from each group drove the car down the hill near the football field. If the car completed that hill ten times, they moved on to round two—a steeper hill! There were no losers in this derby. Every student gained valuable skills throughout the process of designing and building their cars. As a final celebration, all cars were displayed in the hallway for a car show during community lunch.

“Being creative and working together has been great,” said Naman Rastogi.