Syllabus:Car Warz: Planning and Researching the Ultimate Car Restoration/Modification
Instructor: Dr. William Crozier
Email: bcrozier@riverwaylearningcommunity.org
Course Description
In this course students will work under class developed restrictions (i.e. $7,500 maximum purchase price; $65,000 restoration costs) to plan, research, and manage the restoration/modification of the dream car of the student’s choice. Students will use project management principles, concepts, and tools for the virtual initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and controlling their vehicle restoration from beginning to end. Students will maintain digital documentation of their projects. NOTE: You do not need an automotive background to succeed in this course. This course is developed for an ELA credit.
Qtr 2 ELA Standards
10.1.2.1
Read independently and synthesize understanding from multiple texts in order to make meaning about a topic, with guidance and support, and annotate learning.
11.1.2.2
Select, read, and comprehend texts that address academic tasks, proficiently at grade 11 text complexity.
10.1.5.3
Evaluate the impact of illustrations, graphics, and other audiovisual elements on the use, meaning, and aesthetics of the text.
10.1.8.1
Evaluate the impact of vocabulary, including key words or phrases with multiple meanings,
10.1.8.2
Analyze the impact of specific word choices, including word origins that allude to culture,
time period, or geography, in informational text.
10.1.9.2
Make critical choices about information sources to use, based on perspective, biases credibility, and relevancy.
10.2.1.1
Write and edit work so that it follows the guidelines in a style manual appropriate for
the discipline and purpose, with guidance.
10.2.2.1
Write routinely for a range of tasks (e.g., personal interest, enjoyment, academic tasks),
purposes, and audiences, choosing topics and format, including visual elements (e.g.,
illustrations, charts, tables, audiovisual elements) when applicable.
10.2.3.1
Write and revise to align with the guidelines (e.g., character counts, word counts,
structure, style) of various publications.
10.2.3.2
Make effective word use and sentence structure choices for meaning or style.
10.2.5.1
Write to inform or explain, evaluating accuracy and relevancy of information to
convey complex ideas about a topic, utilizing organization strategies common in a variety of text structures, and maintain an objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline, building on skills from previous years.
a. Use precise, domain-specific Vocabulary.
10.2.7.1
Formulate self-generated questions to solve a problem that guide inquiry, generating
additional questions for further research and Investigation.
10.2.7.2
Plan and conduct independent research, synthesizing information from a wide variety
of sources, demonstrating understanding of subject of investigation, and share findings in
writing.
Attendance
Attendance procedures will follow the policies laid out in the student handbook.
Grading
Assignments and papers will be graded on a point scale. Your course grade will be a percentage based on total points earned. Late assignments will be docked 10% every day for five calendar days, after which you can earn no credit for the assignment; i.e. a 10 point assignment due on Friday and handed in on Monday will receive no more than 70%. Thus if this assignment was graded as 8/10, it would receive 5.6 out of 10.
Coursework
The majority of the work for this course will be completed in class. Unless otherwise noted, all work should be completed using complete sentences and, when appropriate, complete paragraphs. For longer assignments, MLA formatting will be used. Each quarter will feature a significant project that will be due a week before the end of the quarter. For this class the project is a blog of your project, to be kept up in your student portfolio.
Smaller assessments will include vocabulary/morphology work, reading checks and reports, and monitored research steps. Readiness and responsibility will also be monitored. Students are to be prepared everyday. This means having your Chromebook charged enough to last the duration of the class period and having completed all previous work in order to stay on task.
Classroom Environment
Following the precepts of respect, responsibility, preparedness, safety, and peace should provide a positive environment for learning. As a member of a classroom community, all individuals should be focused on the other members of the class and avoid distractions from those outside the classroom. No phones are authorized for use in the classroom.
Academic Integrity
The work you submit for this course must be your own and cannot have been used for a previous course. Academic fraud includes using and/or copying someone else’s work as your own without citing a source. This is not limited to words, but also includes ideas that are not the student’s. Academic Fraud also includes using a former assignment without substantial changes and attribution. This is known as self-plagiarism.
Resources:
Sodaro, Craig (2015) Blazing Hot Rods. Capstone Press: North Mankato, MN. (Available at Ebooks Minnesota, Winona Public Library Data Base)
Restore an Old Car available at https://www.restore-an-old-car.com/index.html
Sample Introduction to My Car
For my Car Warz project, I decided to restore a 1957 Triumph TR3. In my mind, this car is the perfect sports car. It is low to the ground, sleek, fairly powerful, and requires actual driving skills rather than merely steering. In this introduction I will cover my own first meeting with the TR3, information about the car I found, and some foreseeable problems in restoring the car.
I was first introduced to the TR3 by my uncle, a dentist who loved cars. He had a Model T, two Mustangs, and two TR3’s, both of which he wrecked. As I said before, the TR3 requires actual driving skills. I only got to ride in the TR3 a few times, most likely due to my mother’s concern, but ever since I laid eyes on one, I thought that is the perfect car for me.
The TR3 I found is from California, which means that the body and frame might be in better shape than a car from the Midwest. That being said, the body will definitely need a new coat of paint, and I am quite suspicious that the engine will need some work. As it is, British sports cars are known for their need to be constantly tuned up–definitely a car for those who don’t mind getting greasy.
Some problems I foresee are getting parts and working with the engine. This is mostly because I don’t know an awful lot about cars, especially tuning. I have replaced some major parts, adjusted and installed spark plugs, and rewired some connections, but this is pretty basic compared with fine tuning an engine.
As you can see I have my work cut out for me, but if I can find the parts and learn how to tune the engine, working with a car from California which will most likely not have rust problems will allow me to build the car of my dreams.
Works Cited
Notes from the sellers page:
1956 Triumph TR3This well-priced 1956 Triumph TR3 is available in maroon with a black interior. The TR3 comes equipped with a manual transmission, dual carburetors, soft top, side curtains, salvage title, Tonneau cover, and steel wheels. An original California car that has just come out of storage. For $6,950
“Used 1956 TR3” Cars.com. (N.D.) Retrieved from https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/fea74965-bd16-405b-b206-c3343c86fa03/