DESTINATIONS

Go Kart Lesson Plan

Please note, this lesson plan was created by FieldTripDirectory.com as a general guide and is not specific to any particular venue listed on our site.

Go-karting is the most popular and fastest growing motorsport in the world. Professional race car drivers such as Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, and Jenson Button started their racing careers with go-karts.

Put your students in the driver seat of their education. Learn about the background and mechanics of go-karts and visit a track to enjoy the thrilling experience.

Before You Go

Fun Facts

  1. Art Ingels created the first go-kart in 1956.

 

  1. Children can begin go karting at age 8.

 

  1. 35 million Americans participate in go-karting each year.

 

  1. Professional go-kart racers refer to their go-karts as ‘karts’ for short.

 

  1. Racing tracks are usually flat, because go-karts lack suspension.

 

  1. The go-karts used in races can reach speeds between 50 mph and 100 mph.

 

  1. Recreational go-karts can usually only go up to 20 mph.

CONTENT

Knowledge

  • History go-kart racing
  • Mechanical components of a go-kart
  • Safety regulations
  • Vocabulary
    • Accelerator: (noun) the device, typically a pedal, that controls the speed of a vehicle’s engine
    • Brake: (noun) a device for slowing or stopping a moving vehicle, typically by applying pressure to the wheels; (verb) make a moving vehicle slow down or stop by using a brake
    • Suspension: (noun) the system of springs and shock absorbers by which a vehicle is cushioned from road conditions

Skills

  • Concentration
  • Data collection
  • Graphing data
  • Gross motor skills
  • Listening skills
  • Organizing data into a table
  • Research
  • Sportsmanship
  • Team work
  • Vocabulary development
  • Writing

Follow Up

  • Hand out awards to students/teams who won the races at the track.
  • Write about experiences on the trip and share.
  • Create a table and graph with speeds collected at the track.
  • Research professional go-kart racers and write letters to their favorites.

Other Sources

evGrand Prix

Go-Kart Safety