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Mousetrap Car Design Competition
Elementary School

Competition Description – Elementary School Division 

Mousetrap Car Incorporated (MTC Inc) has tasked you with creating a new and innovative Mousetrap Car. The project manager is looking for you to create a Mousetrap Car that can travel the longest distance. However, they challenge you to make this mousetrap car with a bail length of 15.24 centimeters (6 inches) or less.

Each SECME team is required to create an engineering notebook and a presentation as part of the design process.

**Click on the images to see the enlarged versions

>>>>>>> Mousetrap Car Design Guideline for Elementary School in PDF Format <<<<<<<

 >>>>>>> Mousetrap Car Scoresheet in PDF Format <<<<<<< 

 

Table of Contents

 

Competition Requirements

Materials

  1. Teams MUST use a standard mousetrap with dimensions of 9.8 cm (3.86 in) by 4.5 cm ( 1.77 in) and have only ONE spring.
    • You CAN REMOVE the locking lever and bait hook, and you CAN ALTER the bail
  2. Teams CAN NOT use 3D-printed materials of any kind in their mousetrap cars
  3. Teams MUST include pictures of their materials in their Engineering Notebook
  4. All DONATED materials must be documented

Construction

  1. The spring from the mousetrap should be the ONLY power source for your team’s car.
  2. You CAN NOT alter the spring in any capacity for your design
  3. The car’s bail arm must not exceed 15.24 cm (6 in) in length

Cost

  1. The TOTAL cost of the mousetrap car should not exceed $10.00
  2. DO NOT include the cost of the basic mousetrap in your materials list
  3. Recycled and donated materials should NOT be included in the total budget, but DO show documentation of how you obtained the material

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Process map

**Click to enlarge

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Engineering Notebook

The SECME Engineering Notebook will allow your team to show all your hard work. Below, you will see the requirements for your team’s engineering notebook. The engineering notebook must be completed in a physical notebook, for example, a composition notebook.

Cover Page

  1. SECME Team Name
  2. Team’s Competition Type and Division
  3. Each team member’s name and grade
  4. School Name and District Name
  5. School City and State
  6. Name and Email of the team’s SECME coordinator

Table of Contents

  1. Include headings and Page numbers

SECME Team Norms and Team Roles

  1. Each team needs to create a set of Team Norms and Roles that should be placed directly after the table of contents.
    • Team norms are rules or operating principles that shape team members’ interactions.
      • Create 5-10 team norms
        • Example: Treat each team member with respect
  2. Team Roles should be assigned based on each team member’s strengths. Roles are based on 4 person teams. You can combine roles or double up if your team has only 2 or 3 members.
    • Team Lead: This team member is responsible for overseeing the management of the project and its success. The team lead will ensure the team is on track to complete the project on time and under budget. They communicate with their coordinator/instructor for all questions and concerns.
    • Scribe: This team member is responsible for keeping the Engineering Notebook up to date and taking any meeting notes. This person should have clear and legible handwriting. They must also communicate with each team member to collect information and work on the Engineering Notebook.
    • Engineering Lead: This team member is responsible for maintaining the team’s original mousetrap car design and creating relevant technical drawings for the Engineering Notebook.
    • Data Analyst: This team member is responsible for recording all data for the team’s original mousetrap car and its trial runs. This includes the distance traveled and notes about the run. This team member is also responsible for recording the dimensions of the mousetrap car and documenting the materials list. The data analyst will use the materials list to collaborate with the team lead on the budget.

Note: Teams must consist of a minimum of 2 members and a maximum of 4 members

Brainstorm

  1. Include ALL ideas your team considered in the brainstorming process.

Concept Art/Sketches

  1. Include ALL preliminary sketches used in the developmental stages of your design process.

Materials List and Budget

  1. Provide a list of materials used in your design and pictures of the materials.
  2. Include the cost of ALL materials EXCEPT recycled materials
    • For recycled materials, include documentation of where your team obtained the materials.
  3. Include photos or copies of receipts for ALL purchased materials.
  4. Include the final cost of ALL materials.

Technical Drawings

  1. The team’s technical drawings are required to show the front, side, and top views of the mousetrap car design.
  2. Label all parts of the mousetrap car design.
  3. Label all relevant dimensions of the mousetrap car design (i.e., Length, Width, or Height).
  4. Label all units of mousetrap car measured in centimeters.
  5. The technical drawings can be hand drawn or created digitally using a CAD program.
  6. Ink pens, pencils, or markers may be used

Photos

  1. Include photos of the mousetrap car design front, side, and top views.

Trial runs

  1. Include documentation of each trial run and notes/observations from each mousetrap car design trial run.
  2. Indicate which version of your mousetrap car design you used for each trial run. (For example, Trial Run – Design 1 – Test 1)
  3. Include ALL mousetrap car design trial runs.

Meeting Notes

  1. Include ALL meeting notes for mousetrap car design.
  2. ALWAYS include the DATE and TIME of each meeting for mousetrap car design.

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Trial Runs

Your team will use the distance traveled to understand the performance of your mousetrap car design. Your team will be able to use this data to evaluate the effects of changes made to your mousetrap car design. Each version of the mousetrap car design requires a minimum of 3 trial runs. A new set of trials must be documented in the Engineering Notebook each time a new design change is made to the car. You must list at least two sets (a total of 6) of trial runs: one set for the original design and another for the final design. You may choose to redesign your mousetrap car multiple times, but a set of 3 trial runs must be shown each time.

When documenting your mousetrap car trial runs, record the following:

  1. Distance traveled measured in centimeters (where forward motion is denoted as positive distance and backward motion is denoted as negative distance)
  2. Include notes about the mousetrap car’s performance.
  3. Include a hypothesis (or prediction) of what your team thinks will happen during the trial run, given the new changes made by the team.

Additionally, your team must include a statistical analysis of your mousetrap car’s performance. Include the following data from your team’s tests:

Average distance traveled from trial runs.

  • d‾ is the average distance traveled from trial runs measured in centimeters.
  • d is the distance traveled from a trial run measured in centimeters.
  • n is the number of trial runs performed by the team’s mousetrap car.

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Presentation 

The Presentation will allow your team to showcase your work in a presentation format. You may use the platform of your choice (PowerPoint, Google Slides, Canva, etc.) We hope that through this presentation, your team will be able to showcase further your design and all the hard work you have done. Please use the information below as a template for your presentation.  

Title Slide

  1. SECME Team Name
  2. Team’s Competition Type and Division
  3. Each team member’s name and grade
  4. School Name and District Name
  5. School City and State
  6. Name and Email of the team’s representative (coordinator or teacher) 

About Your Team Slide

  1. Team Photo
  2. Team members’ names, grade levels, and their roles.
  3. Years involved with SECME.

Brainstorm and Sketches

  1. Include the final ideas (you do not need to include all your ideas) that your team considered in the brainstorming process.
  2. Explain why you DID NOT use them in your final design
  3. Include any sketches you used in your brainstorming process

Drawings of the Final Design

  1. Include a photo of your sketch of the final design (this is NOT your technical drawing)
  2. Explain what you used from your brainstorming process and why you included it.

Materials list  and Budget

  1. Provide a list of ALL materials used in your design and pictures of the materials.
  2. Include the cost of ALL materials EXCEPT recycled materials
  3. For recycled materials, include documentation of where you obtained it
  4. Include a photo of receipts for ALL purchased materials
  5. Include the final cost of all materials.

Technical Drawings

  1. The team’s technical drawings are required to show the front, side, and top views of the design.
  2. Label all parts of the design and explain their functionality
  3. Label all relevant dimensions of the design in centimeters (For example, Length, Width, or Height).
  4. Explain why you chose your mousetrap car’s bail length
  5. Include a color photo of your mousetrap car next to the technical drawing

Trial Runs

  1. Include the trial run data for your final design

Conclusions and Future Recommendations

  1. Provide your team’s conclusion on your design process and any recommendations you have to better your design in the future (For example, if cost were not a constraint)

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submission requirements and Scoring

  1. Longest Distance Traveled – 50%
    • This score is determined based on performance at the regional competition.
  2. Engineering Notebook – 30%
    • The notebooks will be evaluated by judges at the regional competition. You must bring your physical notebook to receive a score.
  3. Presentation – 20%
    • The presentation must be submitted as a PDF with the file name “SECME_MTC_Presentation_Elementary_Your School Name.”

for detailed scoring, please download the scoresheet 

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** NOTE – Only Teams Proceeding to the National Competition!!!!

 Teams who place 1st at their Regional Competitions and proceed to the National Competitions must submit a video recording of themselves presenting their design.

Please use the information below as a guide for your video recording.

  • Introduction
    • State your School Name, School City, School State, Team Name, and Competition Type/Division
    • Introduce your team with your names and grade levels
  • Engineering Notebook
    • Please present and show all aspects of your engineering notebook
    • Explain all aspects of your design and your design process
    • Avoid reading directly from your Engineering Notebook
  • Conclusions and Future Recommendations
    • Provide any conclusions you have on your design process and any recommendations you have to better your design in the future (For example, if cost were not a constraint)
  • Expectations and Requirements
    • ALL team members should be in their Video Presentation and have a speaking role
    • The video should be between 5 and 7 minutes, in mp4 format, and with the file name “SECME_MTC_Video_ Elementary_Your School Name.” 

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