CAPSULE
Unique Lea
stone
rni
Cap
ng
Roller Coaster Project
David Shapiro
Physics Teacher – Natick High School
Action Plan #1
Capsule Project
Exp
erience
Action Plans
Action Plan #1 – Roller Coaster Design Project
Ninth grade college prep students will design and fabricate
a roller coaster. The project will be completed before
they take their midterm exam.
Action Plan #2 – Generating Electricity
Physics for engineers students (senior elective) will design
and fabricate a device that generates electricity using a
sustainable energy source. The generator will then be
used to power another device during a power outage.
Action Plans
Action Plan #1 – Rollercoaster Design Project
Ninth grade college prep students will design and fabricate
a roller coaster. The project will be completed before
they take their midterm exam. COMPLETED
Action Plan #2 – Generating Electricity
Physics for engineers students (senior elective) will design
and fabricate a device that generates electricity using a
sustainable energy source. The generator will then be
used to power another device during a power outage.
MARCH 2012
Original Plan
During the project students will
• Design a Roller Coaster to meet a variety
of constraints.
• Create a Roller Coaster using K’NEX.
• Perform a variety of calculations on the
Roller Coaster (potential energy, kinetic
energy, velocity …).
• Present their Roller Coaster to the class.
Original Timeline
Timeline – 1.5 to 2 weeks in January
1. Introduction to the project and
distribute project documents.
2. Design the Roller Coaster with
specific constraints. (1 – 2 days)
3. Create the Roller Coaster with
K’NEX. (2 days)
4. Complete tests and calculations
on the Roller Coaster. (2 days)
5. Presentation (1 day)
Initial Hurdles
• TIME
• Creating a common project for all physics 11
classes.
• TIME
• Preparing students for their midterm.
• And TIME
Implementation
• Each physics 11 class built their own roller
coaster.
• Roller coasters were built in one period (78
minutes).
• Students were placed in groups of four and
each group had a specific part of the roller
coaster to build.
• Students received a power point describing
the project and each part of the roller coaster
that needed to be built.
• 12 roller coasters were created.
Student PowerPoint Example: Goal
• Your goal
– Design a roller coaster out of K’NEX with two hills
and a straight away.
– Communication: each group will build a specific
part of the rollercoaster.
– Perform velocity, acceleration, force, energy, work
and momentum calculations on the roller coaster.
– Create a PowerPoint presentation regarding one
of the physics concepts above.
– The most efficient roller coaster will receive bonus
points.
Student Power Point Example
A – The first Hill
Design the highest point of the rollercoaster. The
picture below will help you.
Collaboration
Roller Coaster
Roller Coaster
Finished Product
During the Building
• Students had to communicate with each
other.
• Some classes ran out of pieces as they wanted
to build the tallest coaster.
• Each class had to design an aspect of the
coaster for it to work.
Measurements
• After the roller coasters were built each group
was assigned a specific roller coaster to analyze.
• Students measured gravitational potential energy,
kinetic energy, acceleration down the first hill,
change in position, friction along the flat and
momentum conservation at the bottom.
• Students could use any of the equipment in the
room including video analysis to make these
measurements.
Measurement Pictures
Video Analysis
Presentation?
• Students handed in their roller coaster project
packet with their calculations.
• We ran out of time to present our findings in
order to spend a day reviewing for the
students’ midterm.
• Couldn’t present the findings after the
midterm because of our tight schedule with
the physics MCAS.
Challenges
• Getting all of the physics teachers on board
with the project.
• Space for the roller coasters.
• Unique ideas in each section. Students wanted
to copy other designs.
• Wrapping up the project. Lack of presentation.
• TIME
Reflection
• A majority of the students were engaged.
• Each class had unique ideas regarding how to
make the roller coaster.
• Students were introduced to the engineering
process.
• Positive feedback from the students.
• Positive feedback from the physics teachers.
• Increase in midterm scores?
• More open ended in the future with the
presentation piece.