Roller Coaster Energy!

This was probably the most fun STEM lesson I have done. Students complete the SEPUP Energy unit, learning all about Gravitational Potential Energy and Kinetic Energy. Students need to create a roller coaster out of limited materials that will slow down a marble at the end to have it land softly into a Styrofoam cup.

Online Textbook

This is a great engineering and technology activity. Students used the laptops to build and design a roller coaster using a Brainpop game. Students used trial-and-error to figure out the balance between GPE and KE to be successful.

Visit this website to try and design a roller coaster with just enough energy to stop safely at the end. 

http://www.brainpop.com/games/coastercreator/