Database Lesson Plan
Lesson Name: The Right Tire
Introduction: Mountain biking at the scholastic level is on the rise. Many high schools now have teams spanning all genres of competitive bicycle racing. This database lesson plan will look at two crucial bike setup areas. A database will allow the riders to keep meticulous records of training runs and compare component choices and other bike setup criteria with course times.
Content Area and Grade or Age Level of Students: After School Athletics in High School
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
- Evaluate and make tire choices for specific trail conditions and styles
- Evaluate air pressures for terrain style and trail condition
- Research a topic and gather information
- Create a searchable database of important bike setup data to be used on race day
Standards Addressed:
National Standards for Physical Education:
1: Demonstrates competency in motor skills and movement patterns needed to perform a variety of physical activities.
2: Demonstrates understanding of movement concepts, principles, strategies, and tactics as they apply to the learning and performance of physical activities.
3: Participates regularly in physical activity.
4: Achieves and maintains a health-enhancing level of physical fitness.
5: Exhibits responsible personal and social behavior that respects self and others in physical activity settings.
6: Values physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression, and/or social interaction.
1b. Real-world Problem Solving;
2a. Research and Information Fluency;
3b, 3c, 3d. Communication, Collaboration, Analysis and Evaluation.
AECT Standards:
1.1 Instructional Systems Design
1.2 Message Design
1.3 Instructional Strategies
2.3 Computer-Based Technologies
2.4 Integrated Technologies
3.1 Media Utilization
Relative Advantage:
The relative advantages of using an excel database, in the field, to record tire and suspension data is that the riders will be able to quickly see how minor adjustments to bike setup effects their overall performance.
Timeline:
This lesson will take approximately two to three weeks weather depending.
Materials:
Stage 1: Computer with internet access for research.
Stage 2: Riders will need bikes, an assortment of tires, floor pump and an accurate, digital tire gauge, a handheld device like an iPad or similar with excel software, and a radio communication device.
Grouping Strategies: This is a whole team activity
Learning Activities:
As mountain biking is very physically demanding, this lesson will require many days of both dry and wet conditions. Riders will first research various tire options and choose four different pairs of tires basing their decision on trail type and conditions. Once they have their tires, the members of the team will meet afterschool to discuss their findings. At this meeting, members will input their choices into the database in preparation for practice. The riders will then need to purchase their tires and come prepared to practice the following week.
Now that all members have their tire selections, the team will head to their local practice trail. Two trails will be necessary. Many tires are used for specific trail types and conditions. Some tires work better on loose rocky soil while others work better on loamy, softer soil and still others are required for mud. Two types of terrain will need to be tested in dry, wet and muddy conditions.
The first tire selection will be mounted and 28 PSI will be selected for the first run. The riders will be driven to the top of the course by the coach where they will do a warm up run before any data is collected. On the second run, one member of the team will remain at the bottom to collect rider data, and the coach will radio the start of each rider, allowing three minutes between starts. The trail course times will be noted for each PSI and rider tire choice. On the next run and for each run thereafter, the tire pressure will be reduced by 2 PSI. The rider will do five runs. The process will be repeated after a tire change. The role of data recorder will rotate on each run. This process will be repeated on dry days and on rainy days.
Assessment: The assessment will come in the form of decreased race times.
Resources:
- National Association for Sport and Physical Education. (2004). Moving Into the Future: National Standards for Physical Education, 2nd Edition. Retrieved March 5, 2012 from http://www.aahperd.org/naspe/standards/nationalStandards/PEstandards.cfm
- International Society for Technology in Education. (2007). National Educational Technology Standards for Students. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Libraries/PDFs/NETS-T_Standards.sflb.ashx
Link to Database Student Activities