5.

1 Sample Assessment – Inquiry Assignment: Car safety

Due Date: End of Week 8
Time 1 hr class time (Week 6) + time outside of class
allocation:

How safe is that car?

1
Every day on the news, we hear about car crashes across
the country. To avoid disastrous accidents, new cars are
designed with a variety of safety features to ensure that
injuries in a car accident are minimal. Examples of these
include air bags and crumple zones. It is also important to
adjust your driving to accommodate different weather
conditions. But how do we know that these methods save
lives?
You are a journalist, tasked with investigating the safety features of two different cars of your
choice – one in the price bracket of $12 000 and under, and the other $20 000 or higher. You will
present your findings for one of these cars in a two-minute advertisement presentation (End of
Week 8) to your colleagues.
A written report is to be submitted to your teacher on the day of the presentation. You are
required to research and report on (for each car):
• Performance aspects of the car – maximum acceleration and top speed, as well as other
important performance statistics;
• Safety design features designed to minimalize risk of injury to driver or passengers;
• Design features that manipulate friction (e.g. brakes, tyres, oil) whilst driving;
• Explanations of the scientific concepts behind these design features; and
• Provide sample calculations for the forces, speeds, and acceleration of the car (using
estimations for necessary values where real data is not available).

Your advertisement presentation should incorporate this information for one of the cars you have
researched, and assist in explaining to the audience why this car is a safe vehicle to drive. Be as
creative as you would like in your advertisement!
Your report is to be typed in 12-pt font, single spaced. Ensure you have a full bibliography for
your references included at the end of your report.

1
Image retrieved from Fox News (2017).
Rubric
Assignment: How safe is that car? Submitted on time? Y / N Result: /20

Category and AC ASSESSMENT SCALE

dimension
Outstanding Above satisfactory Satisfactory Below Not shown
satisfactory

Depth of Clear understanding of Good level of understanding Reasonable level of Limited Minimal to no
knowledge Newton’s three laws of shown of Newton’s three laws understanding shown of understanding shown understanding shown
motion and their of motion; accurate Newton’s three laws of of Newton’s three of Newton’s three
Science Understanding

(5 marks) relation to car safety explanation of how forces act motion; acceptable laws of motion; laws of motion; no
features; clear and affect a car in motion but explanation provided for limited explanation explanation provided
descriptions of how some small mistakes. how forces act and affect a provided for how for how forces act
different forces act and car in motion. forces act and affect a and affect a car in
affect a car in motion. car in motion. motion.
Numerical All calculations Calculations are accurate but Calculations provided but Calculations provided No calculations
calculations completed correctly with minor errors; estimations some errors; estimations but numerous errors; provided.
with minimal errors; are suitable but explanation is are suitable but no estimations for
(4 marks) estimations made for unclear. explanation given. numerical values are
numerical values not appropriate and
clearly listed and not explained.
explained.
Level of Sophisticated research High level of research Reasonable level of Evidence of research Minimal research
research conducted and suitable conducted and suitable for the research conducted; is presented but conducted relating to
Science Inquiry Skills

for this report; report; information is clear but information provided information is not two cars of choice;
(3 marks) information is clear, some areas require further requires further clear or logical. little to no scientific
logical, and easy to elaboration. elaboration to link back to accuracy provided.
follow. the topic.
Literacy Writing style is Writing style is appropriate but Writing style is suitable Writing style not Writing style
skills and appropriate; minimal lacking organisation; some but lacking organisation; suitable; several inappropriate;
or no spelling or spelling and punctuation several spelling and spelling and numerous spelling
formatting punctuation mistakes; errors; format is in accordance punctuation errors; format punctuation errors; and punctuation
(2 marks) format is in with assignment brief. is mostly in accordance format is mostly in errors; format no in
accordance with with assignment brief. accordance with accordance with
assignment brief. assignment brief. assignment brief.
 Bibliography Wide variety of Reasonable variety of Minimal variety of Limited number of No bibliography
(2 marks) resources used; resources used; references are resources used; references resources used; provided.
references are clear clear and correctly listed. are provided but bibliography style is
and correctly listed. incorrectly listed. inadequate.
Presentation Presentation is Presentation is engaging and Presentation is interesting Presentation is No presentation
skills engaging, dynamic, interesting; eye contact mostly but limited creativity; eye limited in scope; no delivered.
creative and maintained; some speech contact is occasionally eye contact
(4 marks) interesting; eye contact prompts required but did not made with audience; maintained; presenter
maintained and no detract from the presentation. speech prompts required. required reading
speech prompts script to deliver
required. speech.
Teacher feedback
and comments: