Summary
Mark builds a kicking robot to attempt a record-long field goal and pits it against a real NFL kicker. It's an engineering-design story about controlling force, angle, and energy.
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Ages 7+
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Talk about it
Distance comes from a mix of launch speed, angle, and consistency. A robot can repeat the exact same kick, which is its advantage over a human.
- What is one advantage a robot has over a human kicker? What is a disadvantage?
- Why does the launch angle matter as much as the power?
- How did Mark improve the design after each test kick?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: force, angle, energy, iteration.
Try it: Kick or flick a paper ball at a low angle, then a high angle, with the same effort. Which goes farther? Record your result.