Physical Science

Unit 1: Energy and Motion

Unit Project 2

Project Type: Technology
Students will examine, sketch, or do rubbings of a variety of soles of shoes. Then, they will research and draw conclusions about how the different treads affect the friction between the shoe and the ground. They will create a brochure showing five different shoes treads with an explanation about how each type of sole might suit a shoe to a particular activity or environmental condition. In their Science Journal, they will analyze how today's technology has made advancements in shoe design, sports, and safety possible.

Alternative Procedure:
Have students create a comic book of the potential risks associated with wearing the wrong type of shoe during a sports activity. Ask them to write a brief explanation of the motion, forces, and energy involved with each injury.

Resources:
Visit these sites for more information about shoe design, sports, and safety.

Friction
http://www.sambal.co.uk/friction.html

Hands and Feet
http://people.howstuffworks.com/fb-equip5.htm

History of Sports Shoes
http://podiatry.curtin.edu.au/sport.html

Why Golf Shoes have Spikes
http://www.geocities.com/dieterolson/footwork.html

Physics of Racing Flats and Spikes
http://www.kent.k12.wa.us/staff/TomRobinson/physicspages/po2001/RunShoe/flats.html

Click here for a rubric to help you score this project.
[Insert rubric from page 145]

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