Loops and Drops!! A STEM Roller Coaster Design Challenge

The school year is winding down, yet again...but my friends and I hadn't noticed!! Today we used what we already know about momentum, friction and gravitational force to design and create roller coaster prototypes. The goal of this project was to not only have fun but to reiterate important physcial concepts such as the ones I mentioned before, and balance and stability, something I taught my little ones about in the begininng of the year while discussing their effects on bridges.

 

 

What did I use to project the awesomeness (yes, awesomeness) and intricacies of roller coaster design? The epitome of roller coasters, Kingda Ka. Kingda Ka is the fastest coaster in North America, going from 0 to 128 miles per hour in just 3.5 seconds! But what perhaps is even more impressive than Kingda Ka's speed is its sheer height, at a collosal 456 feet, it is the tallest roller coaster in the world. See for yourself!!

But enough about Kingda Ka...check out some of our work!!!

This challenge and ones like it continuously require your students to problem solve and think critically, two exceedingly neccessary traits of great students, and eventually successful professional adults. Students had to consider several entities of structure design like weight and balance, but they also had to consider the overall "fun" appeal of their coasters, in order to complete this challenge.




Have fun and as always, flipchart resources are here and the challenge sheet is here!!

Your friend in STEM,

Thee Busy Bee