Performance cars

• Ask students to research iconic cars from the 1970s. Make a list of these cars and create a database. The database can be presented as a poster or as an electronic version that all students have access to. Use the following websites as a guide. Encourage students to complete additional research:

1. Motore, http://www.motore.com.au
2. Falcon GT Club of Australia, http://www.falcongtclub.org
3. Old Holden.com, http://holdenpaedia.oldholden.com

• Ask students to create a web page for a car sales company that sells Australian muscle cars from the 1970s. The web page can be set up as a classifieds page similar to those in an online newspaper or trading site. The layout must include the following components:

1. a company logo designed by students
2. background information on iconic cars from the 1960s and 1970s (all cars must be Australian)
3. a list of five cars for sale in the classifieds section, including their descriptions and prices
4. images, diagrams and information on the history of each car.

• Ask students to complete the activity electronically or on paper, and then to participate in a sharing and viewing session.

Student Activity Sheet H4.1: Selling your muscle car online

• Ask students to compare and contrast cars of the 1970s with the cars of today. They can use the table in Student Activity Sheet H4.2 or create a table of their own. Have students compare the following features in the table:

1. structure
2. materials
3. components.

• Discuss the materials used to make cars in the past and today. What are the various engine capacities of the cars and what amount of natural resources are used? Focus the discussion on the effects these cars have on the environment.

• Ask students to design and create the perfect muscle car. The design should take into consideration the environmental needs and responsibilities of today. The modern muscle car can be presented electronically or as a poster. Kahootz 3 is an ideal 3-D animation software program to use. The software is available for purchase from the Australian Children's Television Foundation (ACTF) website at http://www.kahootz.com
• Ask students to create their modern muscle car in 3-D using materials available in the classroom.

Student Activity Sheet H4.2: The 'green' machine

• List the cars that are referred to in this clip. View the script of Episode 4: 1978: Mike to identify the cars. Included in the references should be:

1. Holden Kingswood HQ
2. Holden Monaro GTS
3. Ford Cobra
4. 1971 Ford XY GT-HO
5. LJ Torana GTR XU-1

• Assign a car to each group and ask students to research their car and find images of it. Organise a Grand Prix quiz where the students identify ten key facts. Share this information in class. The questions and answers should be written on cards.
• The cards from all groups are then pooled in a question bank. Ask the students random questions from the bank. Anyone can answer the questions. Points should be given for correct answers and deducted for wrong answers. The group with the most points are the Grand Prix winners and are awarded a prize.

Student Activity Sheet H4.3: Name that car

• In Episode 4, the young character Mike is very interested in cars 'with muscle'.
• Ask students to define what cars could be classed as muscle cars. Ask them to listen to the cars named in the first clip and compile a class list .For example MG; Kingswood; and 1971 Ford XB 351-GT may be included in the list. What does it all mean? To a car enthusiast, it all makes sense.
• As a class, discuss the information given in the clip as well as what students understand from the dialogue about the cars. Ask students to write their own definition of muscle cars and share this with the class.

• Ask students to investigate one of the muscle cars of the 1960s and 1970s, then write a persuasive editorial piece (with words and images) that includes the following elements:

1. Why would they like to own this car?
2. What are the main features of the car?
3. What makes this car special?

• Students can present their editorial electronically using a publishing program, or on a small poster to share with the class.

Student Activity Sheet E4.1: Cars with muscle

• Ask students to create a mini-dictionary of muscle car terms from the list. The mini-dictionary must include pictures and meanings relating to the term, or word. If possible develop this information into a website, and upload it to the school server.
• Start a blog to communicate with other students who may also be interested in muscle cars.

• Conduct a class survey of the things students collect and present these findings as a pictorial representation such as a bar graph, or with text and images. Evaluate and assess the most popular collections and describe the reasons given by students for collecting these items.
• As an extension activity, students can survey members of their family (parents, grandparents and siblings) to find out what they collected when they were young. Encourage students to collate this information on a graph, electronic spreadsheet, or record it manually on paper.
• The survey results can be presented to the class, showing the differences and similarities in collections over the years. As a class, discuss the variety of objects collected over different generations and highlight the differences in objects collected today compared with in the past.
• Encourage students to bring examples of collections to the classroom to share and compare.

Student Activity Sheet E4.2: Mini-dictionary of muscle car terms