Curated OER
Magic Mountain Coaster Computation
Students use the Internet to do research on the roller coasters at Magic Mountain Amusement Park. They must use mathematical formulas to calculate the highest and fastest coaster at the park.
University of California
Marble Rollercoasters
Don't let your classes coast through school! Engage them in their learning as they build their own roller coasters to study potential and kinetic energy. Young scholars complete several challenges that require them to consider the...
Curated OER
Potential and Kinetic Energy
Sixth graders explore potential and kinetic energy. In this science lesson plan, 6th graders assume the role of a roller coaster engineer and design a roller coaster. Students use their knowledge of kinetic and potential energy to design...
DiscoverE
Marble Run
It's time to slow your roll! Can your class create a track that allows a marble to roll as slowly as possible? Teams of science scholars collaborate to design, build, and test their tubes while learning about gravity and friction.
Indiana Department of Education
Amusement of the Future
Take your class on the ride of their lives! Physical science scholars get an in-depth look at potential and kinetic energies in an amusement park-themed unit. Students research, design, and promote their own amusement parks, complete...
Curated OER
ROLLER COASTERS IN THE CLASSROOM
Students define potential and kinetic energy and explain the relationship of height to potential energy. In this roller coaster lesson students construct a model of a roller coaster which will allow them to see the basic physical laws.
Curated OER
Roller Coasters in the Classroom
Students define kinetic energy and know the effects of weight and speed on momentum. In this investigative lesson students get into groups and design a roller coaster.
Curated OER
Art Tape Amusement Parks
In need of a quick way to get rid of extra art tape? This simple idea describes how learners can use it to create mini amusement parks. They'll form the tape into roller coasters, cars, and people with a little imagination and creative...
Curated OER
Roller Coaster Robot
Students calculate the area under a curve. In this calculus lesson, students use Riemann sums to find and approximate the area under a curve. They use the derivative and differential equations to solve.
Cornell University
Catapults
Ready, aim, fire! Launch to a new level of understanding as scholars build and test their own catapults. Learners explore lever design and how adjusting the fulcrum changes the outcome.
Curated OER
Universal Studios' Roller Coasters
Students read an article and review a type of graph or other graphic representation. They write a response to a ""Task"" that may be a letter, a report, or a speech to an interested group. In the written response they must refer to both...
DiscoverE
Kicking Machine
Don't kick the resource to the curb; you'll definitely regret it. Future engineers devise a kicking machine that launches a ping-pong ball toward a target. They can use a pendulum, a rubber band, or both, depending on whether they want...
Tech Museum of Innovation
Energy at Play
Get the ball rolling and challenge your class to figure out how to make a ball move. The instruction segment is between two STEM activities devoted to doing just that. The first is simple and involves making a ball move from some force...
Curated OER
Ultimate Ride Coaster Deluxe
Eighth graders describe the energy transformations as cars travel over a roller coaster. They explain the principle of conservation of energy as it relates to a roller coaster ride. The integration of technology is done using educational...
Curated OER
Aaaaaaa! Let's Ride the Roller Coaster
Pupils complete a variety of activities related to the short /a/ sound. As a class they recite a tongue twister, then trace and write the letter A. Students then listen to word pairs and identify which word in each word pair contains the...
Curated OER
May The Force Be With You
Eighth graders investigate Newton's Laws of Motion. They use the example of a roller coaster for illustration purposes. A force associated with a roller coaster is tested, data graphed, and a conclusion is drawn. They use excel in order...
Curated OER
Up and Down We Go
Students explore physics concepts such as velocity, acceleration and speed to create a model of a safe roller coaster. They design and conduct a lab to demonstrate the properties of an object fired horizontally and at an angle.
Curated OER
Joseph Stella: Movement and Unity
Students explore line,shape,color and repetition,to create unity and movement. They discuss Joseph Stella's Battle of Lights, Coney Island and visuals of roller coasters. They use colored pencil techniques and create an artwork.
Curated OER
Let's Outrage the Bull
Students study kinetic and potential energy. In this energy instructional activity, students in grades K-2 understand the differences between kinetic and potential energy. Students in grades 3-5 demonstrate that kinetic and potential...
Curated OER
Falling Water
Students drop water from different heights to demonstrate the conversion of water's potential energy to kinetic energy. They see how varying the height from which water is dropped affects the splash size. In seeing how falling water can...
Polytechnic Institute of NYU
Potential vs. Kinetic Energy
Legos in science class? Watch your pupils fall in love with this activity. After learning to measure potential and kinetic energy, young scientists create their own ramps using Lego Mindstorm sensors and software.
It's About Time
Exploring Energy Resource Concepts
Please turn off the lights to conserve energy. Or not, after all energy is always conserved. This first lesson in an eight-part series includes three parts. Part A contains one hands-on activity and two inquiry-based experiments on heat...
Curated OER
I Feel The Need For Speed
Students are introduced to the concepts of speed, velocity, acceleration and inertia. In groups, they use the internet to research rollercoasters found in the United States and calculate their acceleration rates. They use the...
Teach Engineering
Pushing it Off a Cliff
Focus on the conservation of energy, specifically looking at gravitational potential energy and kinetic energy, with a lecture that involves having friends throw light objects at each other to determine which has more kinetic energy and...