STEM Challenge - Project: Thrills - Design A Fast and Furious Roller Coaster

Looking for a flexible, multi-day activity that gets your students “doing science?” Every STEM Challenge offers a hands-on, inquiry-based, student-led project designed to allow them to step into the roles of researchers and engineers.

STEM Challenge projects are ideal for use at any time throughout the school year, between units, before breaks, or during afternoons when testing weeks occur.

For teachers, there are presentations and step-by-step guides to facilitate pacing and lesson plans that align with standards. Students utilize the included notebooks to guide them through activities (both individually and in small groups), challenge them to learn new information, and reflect on and apply the information they have learned.

The Challenge:

You have been asked by the CEO to submit a proposal to create the next great

rollercoaster at Scream-o-rama. As the lead engineer, you will need to figure out how to get guests from point A to point B in the safest and most thrilling way possible. The first step of this project is to design a prototype of your roller coaster to present to the board members. Each hill, twist, turn, and loop will impress the board and increase the likelihood that you will get the bid to build the final rollercoaster at Scream-o-Rama. But take note, you will have to remain under budget to win the bid. You will be competing against other firms across the country (classroom). Good luck with your project.

What’s in a STEM Challenge?

• a video explaining the engineering challenge and setting the context for the project
• a BIG Question to guide the inquiry
• teacher presentation in PPT (Google-compatible) and Keynote
• a teacher's guide on what the teacher and students should be doing along the way
• student notebook offers
  • questions to provide the students with a framework for their inquiry throughout the entire project
  • opportunities to absorb new information and reflect on ways to use it to complete the challenge
• Using the LAUNCH process, students brainstorm with their peers and reflect on failures and opportunities, with the prospect of sharing their ideas with the world. This holds students accountable, and they will put forth the best effort, knowing that other students could critique the project.
• Each STEM Challenge contains a list of suggested supplies for its project. We were very cautious about choosing inexpensive items, and the supply list is dynamic, allowing for adjustments to individual situations. Suggested supplies include: 
  • plumbing insulation tubes cut in half for tracks
  • connectors, like toothpicks and tape 
  • scissors
  • marbles

NGSS and TEKS Standards

Aside from the engineering components of this project, students will learn about precision and accuracy, budgeting, and describing the change in position and speed when acted upon by an unbalanced force.

NGSS: MS-ETS1-1, MS-ETS1-2, MS-ETS1-3, MS-ETS1-4, MS-PS3-2, MS-PS3-5