Curated and Reviewed by
Lesson Planet
This Roller Coaster Mania! activity also includes:
Raise the energy level of your physical science class with this exciting hands-on activity. Applying their knowledge of kinetic and potential energy and Newton's laws of motion, young engineers use foam tubing and marbles to create roller coasters with hills, loops, twists, and turns.
519 Views
465 Downloads
CCSS:
Adaptable
NGSS:
Adaptable
Concepts
Additional Tags
Instructional Ideas
- Add this activity to a physical science unit on energy and the laws of motion
- Allow the class to work in pairs or small groups building their marble roller coasters
- Adapt this lesson to meet the needs of older learners by having them calculate the speed and energy of the marble at different points in their roller coasters
Classroom Considerations
- Plan this activity in coordination with your school or district's science fair, allowing the class to share their work with other students, parents, and teachers
- Take pictures and/or videos of students' work, displaying them on a class website
Pros
- Sample invitations and award certificates are provided in Word document format, allowing teachers to adapt them to their own classrooms
- Provides a list of key vocabulary with definitions provided for each
- Offers tips for preparing the Roller Coaster Mania event
Cons
- Teacher will need to supplement instruction about how the concept of energy and the laws of motion are applied to rollercoasters