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Two 50-minute classes
This lesson provides a hands-on opportunity
for students to explore concepts related to energy and motion.
Building and running foam insulation coasters allows students
to identify and manipulate the effects of gravity, momentum,
friction, potential energy, and kinetic energy.
Physical Science
Students will be able to:
• Define gravity, force, momentum, friction, potential energy, and kinetic
energy.
• Identify potential and kinetic energy of roller coaster cars by their
position on a track.
• Design and build a foam insulation roller coaster implementing laws of
motion.
• Draw and label their designs identifying where their marble is in a position
of potential and kinetic energy.
National Science Education Standards
http://bob.nap.edu/html/nses/html
Physical Science
Position and motion of objects
Light, heat, electricity, and magnetism (Forms of Energy)
Unifying Concepts and Processes
Systems, order, and organization
Evidence, model, and explanation
Constancy, Change, and measurement
Form and function
Louisiana Science Frameworks:
State Standards for Curriculum Development
http:www.doe.state.la.us/doe/assessment/standards/SCIENCE.pdf
PS-E-B2: Exploring and recognizing that the position and
motion of objects can be changed by pushing or pulling (force) over time;
PS-E-B4: Investigating and describing how the
motion of an object is related to the strength of the
force (pushing or pulling) and the mass of the object;
PS-E-C5: Investigating and communicating
that gravity can exert force on objects;
PS-E-C6: Exploring and describing simple
energy transformations.
Video:
Teams: Forces In Motion, Program number 2: Measuring Forces
Web site:
http://www.learner.org/exhibits/parkphysics/coaster.html
This Web site is the work of a partnership between the Annenberg Foundation and
the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. It focuses on providing
resources to teachers. The mandate of the Annenberg/CPB is to use media
and telecommunications to advance excellent teaching in American schools.
Per Student:
• Amusement Park Now Hiring Information sheet (see attached)
Per Each Team of 4 Students:
• Stopwatch
• 5 or more marbles
• 4 pre split sections of foam pipe insulation
• 1 roll of masking tape
• 2 or more cardboard tubes (paper towel rolls)
• Supports to create hills and turns (books, chairs, boxes etc.)
Per Teacher:
• 1 marble
• 1 section of foam pipe insulation
• Cardboard tube
• Chalkboard or chart paper
• Digital camera
Prior to teaching this lesson:
1. CUE the video to the segment on the roller coaster field trip.
On the screen you will see the question “How does a roller coaster
move?” The audio is jazz music.
2. Bookmark the following
website on each computer in your classroom:
http://www.learner.org/exhibits/parkphysics/coaster.html
3. Purchase black foam
pipe insulation from your local home improvement store. Lowe’s
sells them for .97 a piece. As each team needs 4 split sections,
purchase 2 sections for each team of students. You may want to
buy an extra section for teacher demonstration.
4. As the foam insulation
is already split on one side, you only need to finish splitting
it on one side. One section that you purchase will now give you
two split sections.
5. Tape up a small section
of foam insulation to a wall about 2 meters from the floor in
order to demonstrate various concepts of force and motion.
When using media, provide students
with a FOCUS FOR MEDIA INTERACTION, a specific task to
complete and/or information to identify during or after viewing
of video segments, Web sites, or other multimedia elements.
1. Tell your students that they are all engineers
who have been out of work for a while. Tell them that they
are all desperately looking for a good job with a good company.One
day they all see an advertisement in the newspaper for a
job they would all really love to have! Distribute the attached
document Amusement Park Now Hiring! to your
students. Ask your students to carefully read over the document.
2. After your students have completed reading
the document, ask them what kinds science concepts
a roller coaster engineer might need to know about.
(Students will probably have a hard time coming up
with an answer for this. Some will say that they have
to know how to build things.) Guide students to think
about concepts such as gravity, friction, momentum,
and energy as they might relate to a roller coaster.)
1. Tell your students that before they begin building
you will discuss with them some very important concepts that
roller coaster engineers need to consider in their design.
2. Hold up a marble. Ask students what will
happen if you let the marble go. (Students will probably
say that the marble will fall. Guide students to realize
that gravity makes the marble fall and that gravity
is a pulling force.) Write the following on the board
or on chart paper: Show students how the force of gravity
acts on the marble when you drop it onto the foam pipe
insulation you prepared for teacher use. Ask your students
what would happen if you taped your marble track higher
or lower and then let a marble go. (Most students will
probably say that the marble will travel faster when
the track is taped higher and that the marble will
travel slower when the track is taped lower.) Encourage
students to use this knowledge when encountering problems
with their design. For example, to slow down a marble
that jumps off of a coaster, students could make the
track less steep by using supports or by not starting
the track so high off the floor.
3. Explain to students that the marble gains strength
or force by motion. This is called Momentum. Ask your
students if they know what friction is and how friction
may affect their roller coasters. (Students will probably
say that friction is when two things rub together, and
that the marble and the track will be rubbing together.
Guide students to understand that the force of friction
can stop or slow down their marbles. For example, if
a marble is not making it to the end of a track, straightening
a curve can reduce energy loss due to friction. Making
certain that tape between tracks is smooth can reduce
energy loss due to the marble bouncing around too much.)
4. Explain to students that they will now be looking
at a segment of video to find out how roller coasters
really work.
5. Insert the video Teams: Forces In Motion,
Program number 2: Measuring Forces into your
VCR. Provide your students with a FOCUS FOR MEDIA
NTERACTION, asking them to listen for the words potential
energy and kinetic energy, paying particular attention
to how important these are for a successful roller coaster. START the
tape on the screen that shows the question “How
does a roller coaster move?”, and the audio is
jazz music. PAUSE the tape when the screen shows
the definition “Kinetic energy is stored energy
in motion.” The audio is that of the host reading
the definition.
6. Write the following on the board or on chart
paper: Potential Energy-stored energy waiting to be
used and Kinetic Energy-stored energy in motion.
Lead a discussion about potential and kinetic energy
using your teacher model to assist you. (Guide students
to see that increasing the marble’s height increases
the marble’s potential energy.) Roll a marble down
your track and ask students what happens to the marble’s
potential energy when you release the marble. (Students
are likely to say that the marble’s potential energy
was changed to kinetic energy.) Ask students if a marble
would ever be able to get over a hill higher than its
initial starting height. (Students will likely say no
but will probably have a difficult time explaining why.
Guide them to understand that a higher hill would require
more potential or kinetic energy than is available.)
Ask students if a larger marble would have an affect
on its initial potential energy. (Students will likely
say that the larger marble will have more potential energy.)
7. Provide your students with a FOCUS FOR
MEDIA INTERACTION, asking them to look at the position
of the three roller coaster cars in the video and decide
if each is in a position of potential or kinetic energy. PLAY the
tape from the previous pause point until the screen shows
an activity sheet with the three roller coaster cars. PAUSE the
tape and give the students a few moments to decide on
their answers. Lead a discussion knowing that the first
car is in a position of potential energy, the second
car is in a position of kinetic energy, and the third
car is in a position of potential energy.
1. Divide students in teams of 4 or 5. Distribute materials
to students and let them begin designing their tracks. They
should be given at least 40 minutes to do this activity (more
if you can spare the time). Even with a small classroom there
is ample space for this project. With 5 teams it is possible
to clear “lanes” in the class for students to work.
Walk around the room to monitor progress and help with problems.
It is a good idea to warn students when they only have ten
minutes left to build.
2. If you have a digital
or Polaroid camera, it would be a good idea to take pictures
of their designs, as they might need to refer to these pictures
for assessment.
3. Let each team take turns
running their roller coasters so all of the students can see.
Lively discussions will take place at this point.
4. As an assessment of
this lesson have each student produce a sketch of his or her
roller coaster design. You can use a digital camera to take a
picture of each design in order to let students complete this
assessment at another time. Have students label their designs
identifying where their marble is in a position of potential
or kinetic energy.
5. Tell students that when
it is their turn on the computer this week they will be able
to design a virtual roller coaster. Show students how to find
the book marked web site: http://www.learner.org/exhibits/parkphysics/coaster.html
Tell them to click on Design A Roller Coaster. Provide
your students with a FOCUS FOR MEDIA INTERACTION by telling them
that their mission is to design a roller coaster that is both fun and
safe. Tell them that the computer will judge their coaster when they
are finished with the design.
LANGUAGE ARTS:
• Write
a paragraph telling about your roller coaster. Be sure to tell
about the different forces and energy involved in designing
a successful coaster.
MATHEMATICS:
• Measure
the speed of the marble using the formula: speed equals distance divided
by time.
(s = d / t) Students will need to use rulers and stopwatches for this
activity.
• Schedule
a Saturday fieldtrip to a local amusement park.
• Have
a roller coaster engineer or designer come to speak to the class.
See attached, Student Materials include:
• AMUSEMENT PARK NOW HIRING! ( PDF )
