Home Engineering Challenge #2: Building a Roller Coaster

This activity is customizable, but may be challenging for a younger kid. Choose materials based on your child’s ability and interest.

After days of studying science, we remind ourselves that engineering is applied science and can use the Engineering Design Cycle.

First, you learn about a problem you’d like to solve. What are the needs (a bridge, recycling plant, medical device, electrical grid, etc.)? What are the limitations (cost, materials, time, etc.)?

Next, plan what you are going to do. What materials do you need? What do you still need to get? How much do you think it will cost? How will you build it? Can you do it on your own or do you need help? This is where you can draw a blueprint.

Then, build it! This can be the fun part...or the frustrating part.

Last, but not last, evaluate it. Did it meet the needs? Did it follow the limitations? Were you over budget or under budget? Are you happy with it? How could you make it better, taller, faster, cheaper?

Decide how many trips around the Design Cycle will be best for your engineer, or have them decide! 

Our roller coaster won’t have people riding it, so rider safety is not a concern, but is interesting to consider if your engineer is up for an extra challenge.

Home Engineering Challenge #2: Building a Roller Coaster

Materials:

Finding the right materials can be a little tricky, but can be part of the activity! What can you use to make a roller coaster? The simplest roller coaster would be a ball or marble rolling down a book or other object propped as a ramp. A more complicated coaster can include toilet paper tubes (gotta do something with all the extra tp, amirite?) or other cylinders arranged with ups and downs. Toy cars can work instead of balls. What do you have that might work? Ask your engineer for ideas; they might think of things we can’t! You will also need some sort of measuring device, such as a ruler, tape measure, yardstick, and/or stopwatch app.

Challenge:

You have been hired to design a roller coaster as long as possible, with the materials you have. It is up to you whether you will measure roller coaster length in distance (inches, centimeters, etc) or time (seconds).

Discussion Questions:

Preschool and Elementary

Learn: What is your goal? What materials do you have? What do you wish you had more of? Why can’t you get more of it?

Plan: How will you build your roller coaster? Draw a picture of your idea.

Build: Build it! Set a timer for more challenge or to maintain focus.

Evaluate: Do you like your roller coaster? Did your ball/car make it to the end without falling off? What would you need to get or do to make it longer?

Middle School

Learn: What is your goal? What resources do you have? What are your limitations? How can you overcome your limitations? What information can you find that might help you achieve your goal? What are gravitational potential energy and kinetic energy?

Plan: How will you build your roller coaster? Sketch a blueprint. What forces will your roller coaster car experience? When will it have the most gravitational potential energy and when will it have the most kinetic energy?

Build: Build it! Set a timer for more challenge or to maintain focus. Write down or sketch ideas for improvement that come up while you work.

Evaluate: What does it mean to evaluate? Did you achieve your goal? Did any unexpected obstacles appear? How could you improve your roller coaster? Do you think it would be fun to ride your roller coaster? How could you make it more fun? Did your roller coaster get stuck? Why might energy be “lost” while converting between potential and kinetic energy? What information can you find that might help you improve your roller coaster? 

High School

Learn: What is your goal? What resources do you have? What are your limitations? What information can you find that might help you achieve your goal? How might you acquire more resources? What are gravitational potential energy and kinetic energy?

Plan: How will you build your roller coaster? Sketch a blueprint. What is the scale of your blueprint? Is it specific enough that someone else could follow it? What forces will your roller coaster car experience? When will it have the most gravitational potential energy and when will it have the most kinetic energy? What are possible safety concerns for riders of your roller coaster?

Build: Build it! Set a timer for more challenge or to maintain focus. Keep notes that you can review later, when it comes time to evaluate.

Did you achieve your goal? Did any unexpected obstacles appear? How could you improve your roller coaster? Do you think it would be fun to ride your roller coaster? How could you make it more fun? Did your roller coaster get stuck? Why might energy be “lost” while converting between potential and kinetic energy? What information can you find that might help you improve your roller coaster? If you are happy with your design, how could you communicate to others what you’ve learned?