As EducationWeek reports, the $1.2 billion reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act that Congress approved on July 25 allows states to set their own goals for career and technical education programs without the education secretary’s approval and requires them to make progress toward those goal.
Engineering, technology, computer science, and dual-enrollment programs – along with their students, particularly those from underrepresented groups in STEM – could be among the biggest beneficiaries, according to Lewis-Burke Associates. ASEE’s federal partners.
Indeed, the legislation specifies that Perkins funds may used “to expand, develop, or implement programs designed to increase opportunities for students to take rigorous courses in coding or computer science subject areas,” and for “integrating science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields, including computer science education, with career and technical education.” There is also support for the “integration of arts and design skills, and for hands-on learning” – particularly for girls, minorities, special-needs students, and other populations underrepresented in STEM.
Last reauthorized in 2006, the Perkins CTE Act is the primary source of federal funding to states for career and technical education at the secondary and postsecondary level. The money typically goes to support teacher professional development, courses of study, instructional materials and equipment, and other uses at high schools, technical schools, and community colleges.
Studies have shown a variety of benefits when students pursue CTE – including higher high school graduation rates and greater motivation. The Southern Regional Education Board’s High Schools that Work consortium has data, success stories, and guides to best practices. Moreover, in many states and school districts, engineering and technology courses fall under the CTE umbrella. In New York, for example, which introduced a new course in 1995 called “Technology Principles of Engineering: An MST Approach,” engineering-related courses are a subset of technology education courses. The state education agency underscores that preparation for engineering bachelor’s degree programs requires a strong foundation in math and science, and recommends that districts offer and encourage students to take these courses.
The new bill redefines CTE and specifies all courses at the secondary level must be aligned with rigorous state academic standards identified Every Student Succeeds Act and culminate in a recognized credential. Moreover, it requires states and school districts to ensure that traditionally underserved students and special populations receive the supports they need to access and succeed in CTE programs.
In addition to boosting the quality of CTE programs, the new bill expands funding to the middle grades and promotes career exploration in middle school. It also improves the recruitment and retention of highly effective CTE teachers, and supports the integration of professional development opportunties for academic and CTE teachers, notes Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), the son of an ironworker and longtime CTE advocate. Indeed, states now may use Perkins grant funding to establish CTE-focused statewide governor’s academies like those Kaine started as Virginia’s governor.
In addition, proponents contend, revised provisions around credit transfers will accelerate dual enrollment. The AACC reports such programs have grown steadily over the last 15 years, with an estimated 1.3 million high school students taking college credit courses in the 2015-2016 academic year. Engineering and other career academies could see a boost as well.
The new bill also creates a small new set-aside – $50,000 or 0.1 percent of funds, whichever is less – to increase diversity and inclusion. Along with such “special populations” as English-language learners and single parents, these CTE recruitment funds may now be used for outreach to homeless individuals and children of active-duty military personnel.
There are provisions that could boost career awareness and apprenticeship programs as well. Research from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce found that many students lack information that would help them be prepared for the workforce. Several of its recommendations for improving job skills and readiness – notably better flows of data and strengthening career centers, reflect goals outlined in the CTE bill.
If President Trump signs the bill into law, as he has indicated he would, its provisions would take effect July 1, 2019, beginning with a transition year to allow time for planning, according to the Association for Career and Technical Education, an advocacy group.
The National Park Service, steward of mountain ranges and monuments, has ramped up its STEM education programs with the aim of reaching a quarter of America’s students through real and virtual field trips.
NPS, which offers teachers a wealth of resources, including a searchable collection of activities, curriculum and professional development, has hosted more than 1 million children over the past 40 years at residential field-science programs in four West Coast parks: Yosemite, Golden Gate, Olympic, and the Santa Monica Mountains.
As Education Week reported, the the program expanded to the East Coast with the help of a $4 million grant from Google Inc., to set up camp in the Prince William National Park, about 40 minutes outside the nation’s capital.
Many state park systems also offer STEM-focused experiences. California’s Parks Online Resources for Teachers and Students (PORTS), for example, is a free distance-learning program that uses Skype, Google hangouts, and other interactive technologies to overcome the barriers of time and cost and connect classrooms with on-site rangers, scientists, and other experts. There are also project-based learning units, such as caring for kelp in Point Lobos.
Hands-on science education and informal, out-of-school experiences are considered key to helping students understand the connections between actions and impact on the environment or society. “In creating schools that are optimized for academic learning, we’ve created environments that interfere with learning about the natural world,” Daniel Edelson, vice president for education at the National Geographic and a member of the advisory council that helped devise the education framework for NatureBridge, a residential field-science program on California’s Marin Headlands in partnership with NPS. “We need to create opportunities for students to learn about the environment through firsthand experiences. This means getting them out of school buildings in order to observe and experience the natural world.”
The NPS initiative isn’t the only federal program to expand STEM and environmental awareness.
Some 32 states, the District of Columbia, and Department of Defense school now participate in the U.S. Department of Education’s Green Ribbon Schools program to recognize exemplary schools that promote environmentally friendly practices and encourage environmental literacy. In 2015, the Program for International Student Assessment, or PISA, framework included environmental awareness and climate change questions on the science section.
For a truly stunning look at STEM in the national parks, check out the PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs video series called “America the Beautiful.” Many of the videos document how scientists are working to preserve the American landscape, from citizen bat research in Kentucky caves, to a pygmy mammoth discovery in the Channel Islands of California, to the mysteries of the ancient Hopewell earth mounds in Ohio. Click HERE to see the series on YouTube.
Exploring Southern California’s kelp forests via Skype may not be as cool as walking a real shoreline. Still, it beats contemplating posters on the wall of a classroom.
From 3-D printing to robotics and artificial intelligence, technology is radically altering traditional manufacturing while opening up new career paths.
How would you bring those exciting opportunities to life in your classroom? Make a pitch to the Manufacture Your Future Teacher Challenge – a new program from Discovery Education and the Arconic Foundation – for a chance to win $5,000 to put your proposal into action.
The contest asks teachers working alone or in teams create a video pitch and written proposal for an in-school experience that will inspire students in grades 3 to 12 to explore manufacturing careers.
Added bonus: Arconic employees will guide students through the development of 3-D printed parts for commercial and space vehicles during a Virtual Field Trip on October 5 in honor of Manufacturing Day of Learning.
The challenge, which opened in mid-June, closes on October 19, 2018.
Also check out Manufacture Your Future’s activities and video resources to help students learn about manufacturing careers.
Written proposals from applicants must include the following:
A description of the proposed in-school experience;
A description of how a $5,000 grant would be used to implement the experience;
Information about the individuals who will plan and host the event;
A description of the intended student audience for the event;
A list of critical resources, including at least one Manufacture Your Future resource; and
An explanation of how the students will benefit from the experience, including how it will inspire them to explore different career pathways in advanced manufacturing.
The year 1893 witnessed enormous innovations, from Webb C. Ball’s introduction of the railroad chronometer – which became the standard timepiece for trains – to Thomas Edison’s completing construction on the first movie studio.
It also marked the debut of the Ferris Wheel at the Chicago World’s Fair. And in the shadow of that big wheel, the inaugural meeting of the Society for the Promotion of Engineering Education took place. A dozen years later, the organization had grown to include 400 members from 85 engineering schools, including substantial delegations from major schools like MIT, the University of Wisconsin, Purdue, and Cornell.
Today, the American Society for Engineering Education continues to thrive. Its 12,000 individual and institutional members are training the world’s future engineers, technologists, and inventors across all disciplines of engineering and engineering technology education, from preschool through graduate school and industry.
For a sense of the sweep of engineering’s contributions to society, check out the ASEE at 125 website or Past Forward, the historical timeline that ran in ASEE’s Prism magazine special 120th anniversary issue.
On Tuesday, June 12, for example, K-12 teachers can learn about NASA’s journey “Back to the Moon and on to Mars” and how rockets impact planning for missions in a free 60-minute webinar. Contact Barbie Buckner to sign up: barbie.buckner@nasa.gov
On Monday, June 18, teachers in grades 4 to 9 can learn standards-based Mars Math, while on Tuesday, June 19, they can explore Robotics and Coding in a forces and motion STEM lesson.
In addition, the space agency’s NASA Education site hosts a rich collection of lesson plans, #AskNASA question-and-answer sessions, and other educator resources. Stay up-to-date by signing up for the free weekly NASA Express e-mail.
Teams of high school students learn about energy and energy transformation, then use their knowledge to design and build a paper model of the
most fun and exciting roller coaster they can imagine.
Grade level: 9-12
Time: Nine 60-minute periods (fewer if just doing design project)
Learning objectives
After doing this unit, students should be able to:
Understand that energy is the ability to do work
Understand that moving objects lose energy due to friction, air resistance, and rotational motion
Calculate gravitational potential energy by measuring mass and height
Calculate velocity by measuring distance and time.
Calculate kinetic energy based on velocity
Explain how the law of conservation of energy is applied to their roller coaster
Describe ways that energy is transformed from one form to another in their roller coaster
Explain how each of Newton’s Laws of Motion applies to their roller coaster
Use vectors to show the relative speed, direction, and acceleration of the marble as it travels down their roller coaster
Learning standards
Next Generation Science Standards
Disciplinary Core Ideas – PS2.B: Types of interactions; gavitational forces are always attractive. There is a gravitational force
between any two masses, but it is very small except when one or both of the objects have large mass, such as the Earth and the sun.
PS3-5: Construct, use, and present arguments to support the claim that when kinetic energy of an object changes, energy is transferred to or from the object.
Common Core Mathematics Standards
CCSS.Math.Content.HSA-SSE.A.1. Interpret expressions that represent a quantity in terms of its context.
CCSS.Math.Content.HSA-CED.A.4. Rearrange formulas to highlight a quantity of interest, using the same reasoning as in solving equations.
CCSS.Math.Content.HSN-VM.A.1. Recognize vector quantities as having both magnitude and direction. Represent vector quantities by directed line segments, and use appropriate symbols for vectors and their magnitudes.
Common Core Literacy Standards
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9–10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
STEM Competencies
Collaborates with, helps and encourages others in group situations.
Reasonably implements a solution.
Generates new and creative ideas and approaches to developing solutions.
Evaluates the effectiveness (and ethical considerations) to a solution and makes adjustments as needed.
Recognizes and understands what quality performances and products are.
Materials
For the Falling Things Lab and Potential and Kinetic Energy Lab (Days 1 & 2)
• Meter sticks (8 – one for each station)
• Timers (8 – one for each station)
• Clay
• Plastic wrap
• Ball bearing
• Ink
• Pipette
• Tennis ball
• Scissors
• Ramp
• Sand
• Container
ENGAGE (Prior to Day 1)
• Show video about roller coasters.
• Show sample paper roller coaster. (Teacher or student-created)
• Show videos of sample paper roller coasters. (Samples available at Paper Roller Coasters or
on YouTube)
EXPLAIN (Prior to Day 1 )
• Review potential and kinetic energy, velocity, acceleration, and vectors. (Newton’s Laws optional)
• Go over project requirements and criteria.
• Explain how to use the paper templates to build roller coasters. Reusable templates are available for sale ($20) at Paper Roller Coasters.
EXPLORE (Day 1)
Bell work: What happens to the speed of objects as they fall? What evidence do you have that supports this?
Class discussion: Students share answers and respond to each other. Don’t actually give the answer yet.
Falling Things Lab
Set up stations up around the room, with instructions, a meter stick, and a timer at each one. Students will have two minutes per station, during which time they will be dropping objects from higher and higher heights, observing and recording what happens, and making generalizations about what happens to the speed of objects as they fall based on their observations.
Click HERE for a description of the stations. diagrams, and exercises.
Clay Ball
Drop the clay ball onto the floor from various heights. Before each drop, roll the ball back into a round shape.
Plastic Wrap & Ball Bearing
Stretch plastic wrap over the plastic cup, holding it on with the rubber band. Drop the ball bearing onto the plastic wrap from gradually increasing heights.
Ink Drops
Use the dropper to squeeze drops of ink onto the paper from various heights, beginning at about 1 cm.
Ball Bounce
Drop the tennis ball from various heights.
Scissors & Play-Doh
Hold the scissors point-down directly over the Play-Doh. Release the scissors. Smooth the Play-Doh out before each drop. Drop the scissors from various heights.
Ball Bearing on a Ramp
Roll the ball bearing off the ramp and onto the floor, using the block of wood to raise the plastic track to various heights.
Ball Sounds
Drop the balls from various heights and listen to the sound they make when they hit the ground.
Ball Bearing & Sand
Drop the ball bearing into the container of sand from various heights.
Class discussion: Now how would you answer the bell work question? Students should be able to conclude that objects accelerate as they fall. They should now have more evidence to back up their claims.
Lecture: Energy transformations – Slideshow lecture on Energy transformations with focus on PE & KE with sample exercises. [Page 28 and 29 of lesson]. Go over exercises as a class.
Dropping bowling ball demo – Teacher drops a bowling ball onto a soda can. As you do the demo, explain that as you lift the bowling ball, you are giving it PE and PE=mgh. Ask students what will happen to the PE if you drop it. Students should be able to tell you that PE is transformed into KE. Ask how much KE it should have before it hits. They should be able to tell you that it’s the same as the PE at the top. Drop the ball onto the can. It should crush if you hitit squarely. Tell the students that the KE was used to do work on the can. Ask how much work. If students cannot answer, tell them it is the same as the initial PE and the final KE. Remind students that work, like E, is measured in Joules.
PE & KE worksheet – Students work on exercises on their own to calculate PE, KE, and velocity
Do this lab after going over PE/KE calculations to give practice with calculations of PE at the top and KE and velocity at the bottom, and with making a paper roller coaster part (straight ramp)
Stress that students should make the edges of their folds as smooth and straight as possible to reduce friction. They can do this by using a ruler and tracing over the fold lines with a ballpoint pen to create a crease. Then they can fold the paper over the ruler to keep the line straight.
Click HERE for station descriptions and instructions, plus student worksheets.
Topsail High School’s honors physics paper roller coaster (2012)
EXTEND (Days 2-5)
• Students build their own roller coasters in groups.
Note: Prepare in advance the cardboard bases, one 18 x 24-inch rectangle for each team.
Background: Roller coasters operate on the principles of potential and kinetic energy. The car is raised to a certain height, giving it gravitational potential energy. Then it is released, and the potential energy is converted into kinetic energy—the energy of motion. You will build your own roller coaster to investigate the relationship between potential and kinetic energy.
Task: You are a roller coaster manufacturer competing for a bid to build a roller coaster for an amusement park. Your task is to design and build a paper model of the most fun and exciting roller coaster you can using the templates provided. You also need to be able to explain the physics behind it.
The entire roller coaster must fit on the cardboard base provided (18˝x 24˝). The coaster must include at least one curve, loop, and hill. It must also include one other element of your own design; this may be made by modifying the supplied templates or you may make it out of a material of your choice (not pre-made). The end point should be at ground level and free from obstruction.
You will be expected to keep an engineering journal of your design and build process as well as a data sheet that summarizes the physics behind your roller coaster.
You will then present your roller coaster to the amusement park manager (teacher) and a panel of roller coaster enthusiasts (fellow students) and explain the design and build of the roller coaster and why it is the most fun and exciting based on the physics involved. Click HERE for evaluation sheet.
o Ask: Students ask questions to clarify their understanding of the project requirements.
o Imagine: Students brainstorm ideas for making their roller coasters. Students brainstorm individually at first and then get together and share their ideas in their group.
o Plan: Students draw out and submit a plan for their roller coasters.
o Create: Students build their roller coaster according to their plans.
o Experiment/Improve: Students will record what they tried, why they tried it, what the results were, and what they ended up doing to improve the roller coaster.
EVALUATE (Days 6-7)
• Data sheet. Data sheet will include a diagram of their roller coaster, a table with data and calculations, and an explanation of why their roller coaster is fun using the concepts of speed, velocity, acceleration, and potential and kinetic energy. (Newton’s Laws optional)
• Roller coaster. Use criteria in handout [.doc] or on page 19 of lesson.
• Presentation: Students will present their roller coasters explaining what they included on it and why they built it the way they did, and why their roller coaster is the best. Students must use the concepts of speed, velocity, acceleration, and potential & kinetic energy (Newton’s Laws
optional) in their explanation. See scoring rubric on criteria handout [.doc] or on page 19 of lesson.
Activity extension
Increase design constraints by adding material costs and requiring designs to be longer and have a greater number of curves or loops. See The Great Paper Roller Coaster Challenge.
Planning a road trip this summer? Whether en route to a beach, lake, or national park, there are plenty of engineering landmarks to admire along the way – including the interstate highway system along which most travelers must pass. Here are some designated engineering destinations and other structural icons worth braking for:
* Hoover Dam. More than a million visitors a year tour this National Landmark that towers 725 above the Colorado River 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas, NV. Read ASEE’s Prism magazine columnist Henry Petroski on the dam’s 75th anniversary.
Gateway Arch, St. Louis, Missouri. Designed by Finnish architect Eero Saarinen, the Gateway to the West is the tallest arch and tallest man-made monument in the Western Hemisphere. A U.S. National Historic Landmark, the arch affords breathtaking views of the city from the top of the Arch.
* Mississippi River levees. The great Mississippi flood of 1927 spurred efforts to improve the river’s channel and navigation, protect its banks, prevent future floods and promote commerce – the most complex domestic engineering problem yet tackled by the U.S. government. The resulting $12 billion worth of levees, basin improvements, channel stabilization and floodways held until Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005.
* Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, Calif. The elegant span across San Francisco Bay turned 75 this Memorial Day weekend. It opened to pedestrians on May 27, 1937 and for traffic the following day; the San Francisco Chronicle dubbed it a $35 million steel harp. At 4,200 feet, the bridge was the longest span in the world until the New York’s Verrazano Narrows Bridge opened in 1964. Seven overseas bridges have surpassed both U.S. spans.
* Brooklyn Bridge, New York, N.Y. Completed in 1883, the iconic East River span was once the longest suspension bridge and is just one of the city’s many iconic structures – along with the Holland Tunnel, Statue of Liberty, and subway system – designated historic civil-engineering landmarks by the American Society of Civil Engineers. The bridge was dedicated to Emily Roebling, widow of the bridge’s chief engineer, who shepherded the construction to completion throughout her husband’s illness and after his death.
* Mount Washington Cog Railway, near Bretton Woods, N.H. America’s first cog railway, the coal-powered train has been ferrying tourists and researchers to the summit of Mt. Washington, the northeast’s highest peak at 6,288 feet, from the Marshfield base station for over a century. No. 18 on the American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ historic mechanical-engineering landmarks.
* Washington Monument, Washington, D.C. At 555 feet – 5.125 inches, this popular destination in the nation’s capital is the world’s tallest free-standing stone structure. (July 2018 update: the earthquake-damaged monument remains under repair and is not scheduled to open to the public until spring 2019.)
* Penobscot Narrows Bridge & Observatory, Maine. The 2,120-foot span outside Bangor is the first of its kind in the United States and has a Washington Monument-style obelisk with sweeping views of the mountainous countryside.
Delaware Aqueduct, New York. Spanning 137 km, this major water system is the longest tunnel in the world, delivering almost 50,000,000 cubic meters of water to America’s largest city.
* Cornish-Windsor Covered Bridge, between Cornish, N.H., and Windsor, Vt. Finished in 1866, this 204-foot span across the Connecticut River was the longest covered bridge in the country until Ohio’s Smolen-Gulf bridge opened in 2008.
* Court Avenue, Bellefontaine, Ohio. A stretch near the courthouse built in 1891 is considered the first street paved with concrete in America.
* Cascade Tunnel, Everett, Wash. A series of two tunnels, the second one, built in 1929 and still in operation, connects Chelan County in the east with King County in the west. At 7.8 miles, it’s America’s longest railroad tunnel.
* Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. Opened to acclaim in 1964, this 20-mile, four-lane wonder crosses over and under open waters where the Chesapeake meets the Atlantic off Virginia and Maryland. Its series of high bridges, low trestles, two mile-long tunnels, and man-made islands was dubbed an “outstanding civil engineering achievement” by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
The Lemelson-MIT Program, located within the School of Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), has been working to inspire young people to pursue creative lives and careers through invention for more than 20 years. Its staff – many of them former teachers who have coached winning high school InvenTeams (video, above) – is hosting three hands-on professional development workshops for middle and high-school teachers aimed at helping them nurture their students’ creativity and inventive mindsets.
Midwest | July 11-13, 2018 at Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton, Wisc.
West Coast | July 25-27, 2018 at California Polytechnic State University in Pomona, Calif.
East Coast | August 1-3, 2018 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass.
The three-day workshops will develop educators’ capacity to help kids learn to think and act as an inventor while developing a solution to a real-world problem. The workshop includes strategies for the effective use of the program’s JV InvenTeam activity guides, available free of charge in the resources section of the Lemelson-MIT website.
Also check out the HowToons graphical guides to visual communicati0n and how to sketch ideas and draw prototypes for patent applications.
TeachEngineering.org activity contributed by Duke University’s Pratt School of Engineering. See additional resources below for other roller coaster engineering activities aimed at younger or older students.
Summary
Students in grades 7 to 9 build their own small-scale model roller coasters using pipe insulation and marbles, and then analyze them using physics principles learned in the associated lesson. They examine conversions between kinetic and potential energy and frictional effects to design roller coasters that are completely driven by gravity. A class competition using different marbles types to represent different passenger loads determines the most innovative and successful roller coasters.
Grade level: 7 to 9
Time: 120 minutes
Engineering Connection
During the design of model roller coasters, students encounter many of the same issues that real-world roller coaster engineers address, including constraints placed on their designs by the fundamental laws of physics. Students learn that their ability to understand and work within these constraints is paramount to the success of their roller coasters.
Prerequisite Knowledge
Students need basic prior knowledge about forces, particularly gravity and friction, as well as some familiarity with kinetic and potential energy. They should also know Newton’s second law of motion and understand basic concepts of motion, such as position, velocity and acceleration. Prior to conducting this activity, teach students the physics and engineering concepts in the Physics of Roller Coasters lesson.
Learning Objectives
After this activity, students should be able to:
Explain why it is important for engineers to understand how roller coasters work.
Explain in physics terms how their model roller coasters work.
Discuss the effects of gravity and friction in the context of their roller coaster designs.
Use the principle of conservation of energy to explain the design and layout of roller coasters.
Identify points in a roller coaster track at which a car has maximum kinetic and potential energy.
Identify points in a roller coaster track where a car experiences more or less than 1 g-force.
Identify points in a roller coaster track where a car accelerates and decelerates.
Learning Standards
Next Generation Science Standards
Develop a model to describe that when the arrangement of objects interacting at a distance changes, different amounts of potential energy are stored in the system.
Construct, use, and present arguments to support the claim that when the kinetic energy of an object changes, energy is transferred to or from the object.
Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.
Common Core State Mathematics Standards
Fluently divide multi-digit numbers using the standard algorithm. (Grade 6)
Use ratio reasoning to convert measurement units; manipulate and transform units appropriately when multiplying or dividing quantities. (Grade 6)
Fluently add, subtract, multiply, and divide multi-digit decimals using the standard algorithm for each operation. (grade 6)
International Technology and Engineering Educators Association
Design is a creative planning process that leads to useful products and systems. (Grades 6-8)
Requirements for design are made up of criteria and constraints. (Grades 6-8)
Brainstorming is a group problem-solving design process in which each person in the group presents his or her ideas in an open forum. (Grades 6 – 8)
Make two-dimensional and three-dimensional representations of the designed solution. (Grades 6-8)
Energy is the capacity to do work and can be used to do work, using many processes. (Grades 6-8)
Much of the energy used in our environment is not used efficiently. (Grades 6-8)
Energy cannot be created nor destroyed; however, it can be converted from one form to another. (Grades 9-12)
Materials List
Each group needs:
2-meter (6 foot) long foam tube (1/2″ pipe insulation) cut in half lengthwise (Usually, one side of the tube comes perforated, making it easy to use scissors or a utility knife to cut through the perforation and the other side of the tube to form two halves, essentially making two long channels perfectly shaped to hold marbles; thus, one cut tube provides the track material for two groups – see photos, below)glass marble
During today’s activity, you are going to design your own model roller coasters using foam tubes and marbles. I’d like for you to start by drawing your roller coaster on paper before building it. Along with your drawing, give your roller coaster a fun and descriptive name and make a sign for it.
When engineers design objects and structures, such as the appliances in your homes and other products you use, bridges and roadways, skyscrapers and other structures like amusement park rides, or even bicycles and chair lifts at ski resorts, they work within what they call “constraints.” Constraints are project requirements and/or limitations. Engineers must take into consideration these constraints in order to come up with successful design solutions.
In the case of designing roller coasters, what might be some constraints that engineers would have to consider? (Let students think about this and make some suggestions.) Yes, they might have some practical limitations, such as available or preferred building materials, a construction budget and timeframe, safety measures for users, ongoing maintenance requirements and/or anticipated weather conditions. The amusement park client may also give requirements for the type of movement they want for the ride, such as upside-down loops, corkscrews, specific degree turns, length of drops or maximum speed, or safety assurances for users (safe for people taller than four feet high). Another basic constraint that always applies is consideration of the natural physical laws that exist in our world, such as the limits of gravity and effects of slope, speed and friction. This is an example of how an engineer’s understanding of the fundamental laws of physics is very important to the success of a project. Coming up with a design solution that takes all these factors into consideration and works reliably, safely and as intended is what engineers do.
When designing your roller coaster, what are the physics concepts that you have learned that will be helpful and very important to apply? (Listen to student ideas. Correct and amend, as necessary. Expect them to suggest ideas from the content they learned in the associated lesson about gravitational potential energy, kinetic energy, gravity and friction.)
That’s right, all true roller coasters are entirely driven by the force of gravity. The excitement of a ride comes from the ongoing conversion between potential and kinetic energy, which we know from the law of conservation of energy. Friction is important to slowing down roller coaster cars and acceleration plays a role in the experience provided by roller coaster cars as they move along a track.
And how do these concepts translate to your challenge to design a roller coaster that provides a thrilling experience that is safe for riders? (Listen to student answers. Expect to hear them bring up the following points, which they must understand in order to build and analyze their model roller coasters:
The top of the first hill must be the highest point on the roller coaster.
Cars move fastest at the bottoms of hills and slowest at the tops of hills.
Friction converts useful energy into heat and must be minimized.
G-forces greater than 1 occur at the bottoms of hills.
G-forces less than 1 occur at the tops of hills.
To avoid falling, cars must have a certain velocity at the tops of loops.)
That’s right. These are constraints we must take seriously. The first hill must be the highest point or the roller coaster won’t work. If a car is not moving fast enough at the top of a loop it will fall off the track. Pay attention to the friction between the car and the track, making it as small as you can so the cars move fast enough to make it through the entire track. Let’s get started!
Procedure
Before the Activity
Gather materials and make copies of the worksheet and scoring rubric.
Cut each tube in half lengthwise, so each group receives one length of tube that is channel-shaped to serve as the roller coaster track for the marbles (cars). Use scissors or a utility knife to cut through the perforated side of the tube to form two halves. This process is shown in the following two photos:
Give each group one of these halves. This process is shown in the following two photos:
Review the TeachEngineering lesson, Time for Design, which outlines the steps of the engineering design process. Following these steps while building their roller coasters helps students learn exactly how roller coaster engineers solve problems.
With the Students
Divide the class into engineering groups of three or four students each.
Hand out the scoring rubrics for the class competition. The list of creativity points provides students with guidance as to the coaster features (height, turns, loops and corkscrews) that are desired in the design and the list of performance points provides a way to judge the safety of the coasters. Tell the students: In our roller coaster models, the glass marble simulates a normal car, the wooden marble represents an empty car, and a steel marble represents a full car. Your team will earn points for each type of marble (passenger load) that successfully completes your track and lands safely in the cup. A class competition will determine the most innovative and successful roller coasters.
Have groups start designing their roller coasters, brainstorming and sharing ideas and agreeing on a design. Have students draw their roller coasters on paper, name them, and make signs. Allow up to 30 minutes for this. Look over their drawings to ensure that their proposed designs are physically possible. If not, point out those aspects of the roller coaster design that they may want to rethink. Give them time to iterate their designs.
Give each group a foam tube track, masking tape and cup, and let them build their roller coasters using classroom materials. Expect students to be able to build their first design in 10 minutes or less. Use the cup to catch the marble at the track end.
Give students marbles so they are able to test their roller coasters and make any necessary changes. This is the most time-consuming step and students may need up to 45 minutes to redesign their tracks.
Hand out a stopwatch to each group and give them time to complete the worksheet, in which they determine certain specifications of their roller coasters.
Start the class competition by telling the students: Similar to what you did today, engineers create small-scale models to help them test and analyze their structural designs. For example, the engineers who designed the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco were pioneering new suspension bridge design theory. They verified their complex calculations (all done without computers in the 1930s) of the forces it would need to withstand by performing tests on a steel tower model at 1:56 scale. That’s 56 times smaller than one of the actual bridge towers. The tests confirmed that the tower calculations of the anticipated forces, including wind/earthquake deflections, were sound—and the bridge still stands today, more than 75 years later.
Have each group present its roller coaster model to the class. Use the scoring rubric to evaluate the roller coaster model designs. Discuss the results as a class, as described in the Assessment section.
Make sure that students do not swallow or throw the marbles.
Slipping on marbles on the floor could be dangerous. Have students immediately pick up any fallen marbles.
Troubleshooting Tips
If students have difficulty getting their roller coasters to work, revisit the basic physics considerations:
Make sure that the highest point of the roller coaster is at the beginning.
Reduce friction by checking that the track is wide enough for the marbles to pass.
Any track deformation occurring when marbles are rolled down the track results in a loss of energy, so make the roller coaster as stable as possible by taping it to supports (textbooks, walls, desks, chairs, shelves) at several points.
Assessment
Activity Embedded Assessment
Applied Physics: Check that each group understands how and why its roller coaster works. If a roller coaster is not working, ask students what they think the problem is. See if they can identify physics constraints and explain problems such as “It’s not high enough,” or “The marbles rub too much” in physics terms such as “It doesn’t have enough potential energy because it’s not high enough,” or “The friction between the marble and the track is too great.”
Determining Velocity: Have students measure the length of their roller coaster (i.e., can measure the distance of the length of tubing) and the time it takes for the marble to complete the track. Ask students to calculate the velocity of the marble in m/s as well as in ft/s.
Post-Activity Assessment
Worksheet: Have each student (or each group) complete the Roller Coaster Specifications Worksheet, which asks them to identify some critical points of the roller coaster as well as other specifications such as height and the number of loops and turns. Review students’ answers to gauge their comprehension of the concepts.
Presentations: Have each group present its roller coaster model to the class. Use the Suggested Scoring Rubric to evaluate the roller coasters for the class competition. Discuss the results as a class, asking students:
Which roller coasters were most exciting? Which were safest?
Which won for creativity? Which won for performance and safety?
Which model best met the overall challenge for both thrilling design and safety? What were the trade-offs? (Point to make: Engineers call this optimization, balancing competing project requirements.)
What did you learn from testing your model?
If you were to redesign your roller coaster, what improvements would you make and why?
What would happen if you/engineers ignored the fundamental laws of physics in your/their designs?
How important is it to you that engineers test their designs (for appliances, cars, bridges, stairways, roller coasters, etc.) before they are built and people use them?
What engineering design steps and techniques did we use today? (Answer: Brainstorming, modeling, simulation, testing, analyzing, redesign, optimization.)
Activity Scaling
For lower grade levels, eliminate much of the physics exploration behind the lesson content. Have students build their own roller coasters and discover for themselves many of the concepts that are discussed in detail at higher grade levels (such as energy conservation, friction and gravity), and they may also be capable of understanding some basic explanations of friction and gravity.
For higher grades, introduce equations for potential and kinetic energy so students can calculate both forms of energy and verify the law of conservation of energy. Have students explore loops along with the concept of critical velocity. Have students find the starting height of a roller coaster necessary to complete a loop of a given height.
Additional activities and resources curated by eGFI Teachers
Build a Roller Coaster. [Grades 3-6] eGFI Teachers’ classroom activity from Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry.
Amusement Park Rides: Ups & Downs of Design. [Grades 7-9] 100-minute TeachEngineering design activity from the Women’s in Engineering ProActive Network (WEPAN) includes history lessons on such features as the first loop-de-loop.
Physics of Roller Coasters [Grades 7-9] In this 30-minute TeachEngineering activity, middle school students explore the physics exploited by engineers in designing today’s roller coasters, including potential and kinetic energy, friction and gravity.
Energy on a Roller Coaster[Grades 9-12] High school students learn about the conservation of energy and the impact of friction as they use a roller coaster track to collect position data and then calculate velocity and energy data in this 40-minute TeachEngineering design activity.
Paper Roller Coasters. [Grades 9-12] In this two 60-minute physical science activity developed by Hawaii’s department of education, high school students learn about and calculate kinetic and potential energy by designing, building, and testing roller coasters made from paper.
Making Roller Coasters. See how students turned this energy unit design challenge into a roller coaster that looped and zipped through their entire classroom [YouTube 2:26]
