Acting as civil engineers, students in grades 9-12 research how to best use piezoelectric materials to detect road damage, setting up model roads, creating their own experiment procedures, and analyzing voltage changes caused by the vibrations of simulated vehicles. They then write up their research and conclusions as if presenting evidence to federal transportation officials about how piezo elements can be used to indicate road damage and help determine when roads need maintenance.

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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 9-12, Lesson Plans | Comments Off on Preventing Potholes

Tags: asphalt, highway construction, NGSS aligned activity, pavement, piezoelectric materials, pothole repair, road repair, Sparkfun, TeachEngineering activity, transportation engineering, Vernier