Students explore the materials design and function of a wide variety of balls used in athletics, as well as test and analyze their interactions with many surfaces they come in contact during play. Then students design a suitable material for use in a newly invented game.

By incorporating everyday materials into science lessons, the Materials World Modules (MWM) program at Northwestern University has found the solution to getting students excited about learning science while helping teachers meet national and state education standards.

The modules are easy to organize and inexpensive to run. They can be incorporated into any science class because of the breadth of subjects covered in the Activity and Design Project sections. Each module is a supplemental science unit that takes 1-3 weeks of class time (approximately
10 hours) to complete.

MWM will give students an opportunity to understand the world around them in a way they have never experienced before. The modules promote an awareness of the roles science and technology play in society and guide students to take increased control of their work.

» Module At-a-Glance
» Connecting to Your Curriculum
» Video Clips
» Resources

Activity 1: Exploring Ball Design and Materials
By examining the construction of different balls used in sports, students recognize that the design of balls varies according to how the balls are used in their sport. They hypothesize why specific materials were chosen for each ball.

Activity 2: Measuring the Rebound of Sports Balls
Students use a drop test to compare a variety of sports balls for their ability to rebound. They draw conclusions relating rebound to the materials in each ball and to drop height.

Activity 3: Investigating Energy Absorption of Materials
As they measure how high a ball bounces from a number of surfaces, students investigate how materials absorb or return energy. They recognize that energy is absorbed through the deformation of materials.

Activity 4: Comparing Rolling Friction on Different Surfaces
Students test how different surfaces impede a ball's ability to roll. They also analyze class data to compare how far different balls rolled across the same surface.

Activity 5: Researching Sports Materials
Students research and write a formal report about the sports equipment of their choice-how the equipment was developed, what materials are commonly used and why, and how the equipment might be improved in the future. They learn about the connections between science, technology, and society.

Design Project 1: Designing a Mini-Golf Game
Drawing on what they learned about rebound, energy absorption, and rolling friction, students design a ball to be used in a new kind of mini-golf game. They will design, test, evaluate, and redesign a set of prototypes that must meet a number of specific criteria, including landing in the target area 75% of the time.

Design Project 2: Designing New Sports Equipment
Students consider their research project as well as the properties they tested throughout the Activities as they propose a new type of sports equipment or an improvement on an existing product. They will design, test, evaluate, and redesign a set of prototypes to meet a list of criteria that they themselves establish for their product.

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Materials World Modules are simple to organize and inexpensive to run. They are designed to be easily incorporated into any middle school science or high school science lab or lecture course. The chart below lists the subjects covered in the Activities and Design Projects sections of this module.

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Amer Sports, which includes Wilson , Suunto, Atomic, etc.
Discusses the technology behind many types of sports equipment, and the various design and material choices facing consumers.

Science in Sports
Tackles the subject of science behind sports, including high-tech materials, energy transfer, and other issues in sports.

Slam Dunk Science
Introduces many aspects of sports science and engineering as they relate to athletic shoe design, and explains how to set up a low-cost sports research lab in the classroom.

US Olympic Team
Includes an overview of the history, rules, and equipment used in Olympic and Paralympic sports.

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