Create a motocross course. Explore the function and design of dirt bikes and motocross tracks.
Overview
- Essential Question: What role do scientific concepts play in the design, development, construction and use of motocross tracks?
- Area of study: Science elective (but it could be used for physics/physical science with some tweaks.)
- Type and amount of credit earned: 0.5 credit science elective (depth could be added to make it a 1-credit course)
- Community partner: Look for a local dirt bike or motor sports shop, and/or a connection with an engineer who could discuss track design, and/or a connection with a local dirt-bike course..
Competencies
- Physics – How basic physics concepts impact motocross riders during competition.
- Engineering principles – Principles of engineering involved in the planning to develop and create a motocross course.
- Systems and functions – Various systems that impact functioning of dirt bikes.
- Repairs and maintenance – Common repairs and maintenance for 2- and 4-stroke motors.
See the Motocross ELO details for the full text of these competencies.
Student activities
- Visit local motocross track and analyze the layout.
- Explore different types of dirt, sand, etc., and identify which are most conducive to a sustainable motocross track.
- Study, and explain in simple terms, the geometric considerations involved in developing a motocross track.
- Meet with dirt bike mechanics to learn about the various systems and functions of dirt bikes.
- Create small scale tracks and use remote-controlled dirt bikes on them.
- Research and explain how remote-controlled dirt bikes stay upright.
- Shadow, intern and/or mentor with dirt bike mechanics to learn about systems and how to diagnose and address common repairs.
Assessment
The student completed a number of formative assessments regarding understanding of various components of this wide-spanning course. The final project was to be creating a small scale track at a local beach where the student could use a remote-controlled dirt bike to test, utilize and refine the track he developed, then complete a reflection to explain what he learned that allowed him to develop the track, as well as what questions he still had. Unfortunately he dropped the ELO.
More information
This ELO, as designed, was far reaching. It was designed as a science elective course, but with the right support, both from community partners and content area educators, it could realistically be fashioned into a quality physical science or physics ELO. If the student had completed the course, we had planned to go to the local beach to make a larger scale (but not too big!) track that we could practice the remote controlled dirt bikes on and analyze the differences between wet beach sand and the other dirt/soil/sand mixtures he had used in the classroom.
We used a small 1-foot by 2-foot shallow box to test the different dirt/soil/sands and mixtures and see how sculpt-able they were. We didn’t do this, but a student could hypothesize why the different combinations were more or less effective for shaping and sculpting, then do experiments to test those hypotheses.
There are a lot of opportunities to talk about concepts like gravity, momentum, friction, Newton’s laws, velocity, etc.
I thought this was a unique and exciting ELO and wish the student had completed it.
This ELO was submitted by Terrill Covey, ELO Facilitator, Strafford Learning Center. Email teacher for more information
May 2026
