It started like any other morning at Haw Creek Elementary - until students spotted a massive trailer pulling into the school parking lot, decked out in racing stripes and the logo of Charlotte Motor Speedway. Fifth graders pressed against the windows, curious and excited. Something big was happening, and it had to do with race cars.
This wasn’t just about fast cars and loud engines. The Speedway team had arrived with a trailer full of STEAM activities - hands-on stations designed to connect the excitement of racing with science, technology, engineering, art, and math. It was learning in the fast lane, and the students were ready to roll.
At the Engineering Pit Stop, students built miniature race cars using recycled materials. They learned how aerodynamics and weight distribution affected their car’s speed on the track.
Nearby, the Hydration Station featured a variety of different sodas, water, milk and energy drinks where students used gadgets to determine which one provides the most hydration to drivers.
At the Robo Track, students used pipes to create their own race track where they later raced robots using a tablet.
Finally students calculated force and motion in a collision simulation where they tested how well their cars would hold up in a crash.
By the end of the day, the students at Haw Creek had not only learned a lot - they also saw how their classroom skills could power real-world careers, from engineering to coding, design and decision making.
“Who knew racing had so much science behind it?” one student said. With big smiles and even bigger dreams, the fifth graders waved goodbye to the Charlotte Motor Speedway crew - some already dreaming of a future behind the scenes.
