Introduction
Who loves rollercoasters? The ups, the downs, the turns, and of course, the speed! Well, Silver Dollar City needs your help to build the next big rollercoaster for their themepark. They need help to bring more people to the park and make it one of the best themeparks in the country. You can use your knowledge of force, motion, and gravity to design a new rollercoaster for them. It is time to do some research on what these words mean and how you can put them to use in designing and building your own rollercoaster.
Task
Silver Dollar City wants a new rollercoaster, but they need it to be safe for thier customers. They need to know what forces act upon a rollercoaster to make sure it runs safely. It is your job to find out as much as you can about force, motion, gravity, and friction so you can make a fun and safe ride. Think about what you like about rollercoasters and include some of those features. You will have 2 science class periods to complete.
Do the following tasks with a partner:
1. Find out as much as you can about the words I have given you and record definitions in your science journal.
2. Watch videos and use online resources to learn more.
3. After watching 2 Brainpop videos, take the "hard quiz" and record scores in journal.
4. Play with online resources to try out different rollarcoasters and finalize your plan. Then sketch and label (push or pull) the rollercoaster you designed and turn in for a grade along with your journal.
5. Be prepared to present your design to Silver Dollar City and explain why it is the best coaster for the park.
It is also important to do the following when working in a partnership or group (Harvey,Daniels, 2009)
1. Be responsible for your part
2. Listen actively
3. Speak up
4. Support your views and findings
5. Show tolerance and respect
6. Reflect and correct
Follow these rules to work together effectively.
Go to Process now to begin.
Process
Think about the answers to these questions as you complete this webquest:
1. What is a force?
2. What does friction do to a moving object?
3. What is gravity?
Take these steps to complete this webquest:
1. Click on the link below and read and use the Britanica Kids link to record definitions. Record definitions for force, motion, friction, and gravity in your science journal.
2. Watch the videos on Brainpop to learn even more and take the hard quiz after each video and record score for each in journal.
http://www.brainpopjr.com/science/forces/gravity/
http://www.brainpopjr.com/science/forces/pushesandpulls/preview.weml
3. Play with pushes and pulls
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/5_6/pushes_pulls.shtml
Play with forces and motions
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/6_7/forces_movement.shtml
Play with friction
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/8_9/friction.shtml
Now it is time for Rollercoaster building!
4. Go to the link below and follow directions. Please note your safety rating and explain why you received that rating in your science journal. If you recieved a "thumbs down" rating, please try again and make a note of what changes you made and why.
http://www.learner.org/interactives/parkphysics/coaster/
5. Go to the link below and just build the most fun, scary, and fast coaster that you can keeping what you have learned so far.
http://kids.discovery.com/games/build-play/build-a-coaster
6. Now for the last step, sketch your rollar coaster on a sheet of cardstock paper from step 5 and label the pushes and pulls. Then be prepared to present your rollarcoaster to Silver Dollar City and explain why it is the best coaster for the park. Turn this in for a grade along with science journals.
Evaluation
| This is how you will be scored. | Beginning 1 |
Developing 2 |
Qualified 3 |
Exemplary 4 |
Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Complete the research on force and motion. | I watched one video and did one experiment on the WebQuest. | I watched most of the videos and did most of the experiments on the WebQuest. | I watched all videos and did all experiments on the WebQuest. | I watched all videos and did all experiments on the WebQuest. I also researched my topic further using the extra links. | |
| Design a rollercoaster. | I finished part of my design for a rollercoaster. | I designed a rollercoaster. | I applied my knowledge of force and motion to design a rollercoaster, | I applied my knowledge of force and motion to design a rollercoaster, and I am able to explain why I chose the design I did. | |
| Build a rollercoaster. | I began my building of a rollercoaster. | I built a rollercoaster. | I applied my knowledge of force and motion to build a rollercoaster. | I applied my knowledge of force and motion to build a rollercoaster, and I am able to explain why I built it like I did. | |
| Test your rollercoaster. | I tested my rollercoaster, and it was unsafe. | I tested my rollercoaster, and I had 2-3 mistakes. | I tested my rollercoaster, and I had only 1 mistake. | I tested my rollercoaster, and I had a great design with no mistakes. | |
| Sketch and label or draw your rollercoaster. | I sketched my design but did not add labels, or I drew my design with little or no details. | I sketched my design and added labels, or I drew my design with a few details. | I sketched my design and added several labels, or I drew my design with several details. | I sketched my design in great detail and added several labels, or I drew my design with a great number of details. | |
| I wrote definitions and quiz scores in my journal | I wrote one or less definition and did not record scores. | I wrote 2 or less definitions and did not record scores. | I wrote 3 or less definitions and wrote one quiz score. | I wrote all definitions and both quiz scores. | |
Conclusion
You have learned a lot about force and motion and even got to design your own rollercoaster. This knowledge will help you to understand more about what makes things move. This will help you in many aspects of your life and will help you understand more about the world around you. Now you will have an opportunity to present your rollercoaster plan and design.
Be ready to answer the following questions:
1. What is the most interesting thing you learned?
2. Will this change the way you think about rollercoasters?
3. Why does it matter how a rollercoaster is made?
4. How did you come up with the plan you did?
Now go home and tell someone what you learned today and show off your design.
Here are some more resources to continue learning.
Forces in Action
Click the link below to learn about Newton's laws
Click the link below to play Forces and Motion Jeopardy
Click the link below to learn about simple machines
Click the link below to learn about projectile motion.
Credits
Authors Biography:
My name is Amanda Brown and I am currently student teaching at Forsyth Elementary in 3rd grade. I love finding new and exciting ways for students to learn and I love to see them explore and find their own answers to questions.
Special Thanks to the following:
Brain Pop Jr.
BBC
Kids Brittanica
Discovery Kids
Physics for Kids
Learner.org
Collaboration and Comprehension by Stephanie Harvey and Harvey Daniels
Teacher Page
Show Me Standard:
2. properties and principles of force and motion
GLE Standard 2: Properties and Principals of Force and Motion
2. Forces affect Motion
2. A