Roller Coasters
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Roller Coasters
The infamous “Roller Coaster Project” was completed
on October 10. Each year the Algebra 2 students of Mr.
Doering and Mrs. Clemmer are assigned to construct a
working roller coaster with a theme complete with a portfolio
of all of the mathematics and physics involved. The project is
assigned fifteen days prior to its due date and each year the
students congregate in the library to present their final
products to the second grade class of El Segundo and a few
select judges. The coasters are then judged and awarded the
top three honors out of both regular and honors classes.
This year is Mr. Doering’s first year teaching Algebra
2 Honors and Algebra 2. Mrs. Clemmer will be passing the
torch, as she will not be teaching Algebra 2 honors next year.
It was exciting to see what the new honors class would
produce. There were 11 roller coasters constructed from both
Mr. Doering’s and Mrs. Clemmer’s honors classes, and 11
roller coasters from Mr. Doering’s regular Algebra 2 class. All
the roller coasters proved to be well done at the final
presentations in the library on October 10.
The library was jam-packed with multitudes of second
graders waiting to test the roller coasters and get their hands
on some candy! The second graders were told to choose their
favorite coaster, because they would draw a picture of it and
write a letter to the Algebra 2 students. In the letters, second
grader, Christina S. said, “I liked the ‘Aloha’ the best because
it was Hawaiian. I liked the decoration on the Hawaii. I had
fun. I can’t wait until I grow up and be in high school and make
one like your roller coaster. You must have worked hard.
Thank you for letting us come.“ Also attending the roller
coaster convention, were engineers from Boeing and
Raytheon who judged the roller coasters. They visited each
roller coaster, asking the students questions about the
construction, physics, and engineering behind their roller
coaster. At the end of the presentation, the winners were
announced.
Many people question the purpose of this project and
it is often criticized. Mrs. Clemmer states, “Every year, I am
criticized for assigning this project, but I continue to do it
because my entire focus is on student learning and success.”
The project may appear tedious, but the true purpose is to
learn about slopes and physics while working together as a
team to solve problems and create something great.
Sophomore Jeff Campeau, who constructed “Cirque du
Clemmer,” stated, “The roller coaster project was interestingly
difficult and was tight to make!” Junior Khalid Abdelshife
commented, “I learned the physics and mathematics of roller
coasters. It took my group and me a while before we could
get our roller coaster to work and understand why it worked.
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Roller Coasters
experience and I had fun working on it.” The students learned
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a lot and Mrs. Clemmer welcomes any one to come and read
the portfolios created by each group because she says it will
give insight to what the students gain from the roller coaster
project.
Mr. Doering commented, “What I liked most was the
presentation part of the project. I like to see the community
getting involved and the second graders looking up to the
Algebra 2 students. The students worked really hard this
year.” Most people who attended the presentation in the high
school library on October 10 also thought it was heartwarming
to see the Algebra 2 students lifting up the second graders so
that they could have a chance to drop the marbles down the
coasters. When asked about her feelings on the outcome of
the project, Mrs. Clemmer stated, “ I am always awestruck by
what students can do. I feel that the amount of learning takes
place in both the academic subject of math, and in the
students’ responsibility. The teamwork is incredible! This year
in particular, there was one roller coaster that didn’t work on
the day of the presentation, and the rest of the class was so
upset that five people spent their lunch working on it after the
judging had been done. We will, as a class, make that roller
coaster work!”
This year’s presentation marked the ( )th annual completion of
the “Roller Coaster Project,” which will most likely be assigned
for years to come.
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