Curated OER
Class Mascot
Young scholars create their own tales to tell using a class mascot and their imaginations for inspiration. They each take turns bringing home the mascot and a notebook. In the notebook, they write their own tale about an adventure the...
Curated OER
Weightlessness Demonstration
Pupils explore the concept that free-fall eliminates the local effects of gravity. They discuss what an Earth-orbiting spacecraft experience is like as well as the terminology of weightlessness. Their lab experiment commences.
Curated OER
Weightlessness
Students predict the behavior of coffee in a cup while it is dropped during a demonstration. They relate their observations to the weightless conditions that astronauts experience in space and discuss the concept of free-fall.
Curated OER
Weightlessness Demonstration
Students investigate gravity. In this weightless lesson plan students complete a lab activity about how a free fall might effect how one perceives gravity.
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: Amusement Park Physics: Roller Coaster
Learn about Newton's Laws of Physics, g-force, the causes of motion sickness, and more by reading about different rides at an amusement park.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Amusement Park Ride: Ups and Downs in Design
This unit has students design and build foam tubing roller coasters. The design process integrates energy concepts as they test and evaluate their designs that address the task as an engineer would. The goal is for students to understand...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: The Science of Swinging
Students learn what a pendulum is and how it works in the context of amusement park rides. While exploring the physics of pendulums, they are also introduced to Newton's first law of motion - about continuous motion and inertia.
Read Works
Read Works: A Bumpy Ride
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about the bumper car ride at an amusement park. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: What Rides Can You Go On?
What rides can you go on? Students connect inequalities with an amusement park's height requirements to figure out which rides they can go on.
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: Amusement Park Physics: The Principles of Free Fall
An article describing free fall principles in roller coaster rides. In addition to the explanation of free fall, an experiment is described that allows you to test free fall with a cup of water. Part of a larger presentation on roller...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Swinging With Style
Students experientially learn about the characteristics of a simple physics phenomenon - the pendulum - by riding on playground swings. They use pendulum terms and a timer to experiment with swing variables. They extend their knowledge...
Unite for Literacy
Unite for Literacy: Technology: Hold On!
A book about riding a rollercoaster. Book includes audio narration in nine additional languages with text in English.
Curated OER
Wikipedia: National Historic Landmarks in New York: Playland Amusement Park
The only publicly owned amusement park in the U.S.; rides and attractions were designed in the Art Deco style.
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Converting Potential Energy to Kinetic Energy
If you'd like to investigate the physics of amusement park rides, then this project is for you. You'll build a roller coaster track for marbles using foam pipe insulation and masking tape, and see how much the marble's potential energy...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: The Chills and Thrills of Roller Coaster Hills
Lots of people enjoy roller coasters, but not many understand why they feel the strange excitement they do when riding them. In this science fair project, you will build and use an accelerometer to figure out and measure gravity-induced...
Wikimedia
Wikipedia: California Screamin' Roller Coaster
This popular Disney roller coaster is made out of steel. Learn more facts about this popular amusement park ride, the fastest at any Disney theme park.
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: How Roller Coasters Affect Your Body
Brian D. Avery investigates what roller coasters are doing to your body and how they've managed to get scarier and safer at the same time.
Curated OER
Snaith Primary School: Setting: The Waltzer
A color photograph by Tony Newlin of a ride called The Waltzer at an amusement park, carnival, or fair.
Curated OER
May the Force Be With You
Students explore the science behind thrill rides, including the physics of a roller coaster, human emotions, and physiological effects on the body. A related article is accessible through free registration.
Walter Fendt
Walter Fendt: Model of a Carousel: Centripetal Force
This resource features an applet that models the motion of a carousel ride at an amusement park to demonstrate centripetal force. The motion parameters can be modified and seen in the animation.