Advancing STEM
  • Home
  • Our Curriculum
    • Curriculum Design
    • Grade Level Curricular Details
    • FREE SAMPLE - Grade 1
    • NYS Science Investigations
    • Resources
  • Contact
  • Teacher Feedback
  • AdvancingSTEM Challenges
  • Accessibility

Challenges

A Thrilling Loop-da-Loop!

8/1/2017

0 Comments

 
Challenge
Did you or are you going to visit an amusement park this summer? What is your favorite ride there: ferris wheel, merry-go-round, water slides, roller coaster, or other?  A roller coaster seems to be a crowd favorite with all of the twists, turns, being upside down, downhill speed, and loop-da-loops! Have you ever thought about trying to design a sample roller coaster?
 
This month’s challenge has you experimenting with materials to create a model roller coaster and experiencing the different attributes they have in order to work properly. Your challenge is to use the materials to make a roller coaster that has the passengers (a marble) going from the start to the finish in a slow manner, a fast manner, over a small hill, over a big hill, over two hills, through a loop-da-loop, through two loop-da-loops, and more of your choosing.
 
You can approach this challenge in a few different ways with different materials, but one way is to use foam pipe insulation, a large marble, masking tape, and a plastic/paper/foam cup. Cut the foam pipe insulation in half on its side to create the track for the marble. Tape multiple tracks together to make it longer and to adhere it to the different surfaces. Tape the cup at the end of track so the marble stops inside instead of rolling all over. Now your ready to start the challenges!

Materials
  • masking tape
  • foam insulation pipes
  • large marbles
  • plastic/paper/foam cups
  • scissors
 
Hints and Tips for Success
  1. Have students start out going in order of the challenges as listed above to the more complex ideas.
  2. Only give students a certain length of foam (6') to conduct the initial challenges before building more detailed roller coasters.
  3. Have students reflect and compare their results of what worked and didn’t work with each challenge.
  4. Connect to science by discussing the concepts of forces such as gravity since the marble is being pulled toward the ground on the roller coaster.
  5. Connect to ELA by reading the book, Roller Coaster by Marla Frazee, which shows different emotions of 12 people getting on and riding a roller coaster. This book is excellent for inferring from the character’s faces and by what is going to happen next by observing the pictures.
  6. Use different types of balls (ping pong, foosball, wooden ball, bouncy ball, ball bearing) to see if they act the same on the roller coaster. Conduct different experiments to see which ball is the fastest/slowest through the track and have discussions about the trials.
0 Comments

    Advancing STEM Challenge for your classroom.

    Let our Advancing STEM Challenges help your students discover the innovator in themselves.  

    Advancing STEM Challenges are designed to bring engineering and design to your classroom in a simple, easy-to-implement, challenge-based way.  Modify our Advancing STEM Challenges for your classroom.  A new challenge will be posted monthly.  

    Post a photo of your students in action in our comment section or post a comment on how you modified the Challenge to work in your classroom.  

    Picture

    Archives

    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

© 2022 Advancing STEM
CA BOCES & E2 BOCES
  • Home
  • Our Curriculum
    • Curriculum Design
    • Grade Level Curricular Details
    • FREE SAMPLE - Grade 1
    • NYS Science Investigations
    • Resources
  • Contact
  • Teacher Feedback
  • AdvancingSTEM Challenges
  • Accessibility