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7th
Grade Science Exploritory
Unit 1-Rollercoasters
Lesson # 1
Newton’s Law’s
of Motion
Definition: Newton's laws of
motion (Sir I. Newton):
- Newton's first law of motion: A body continues in its state
of constant velocity (which may be zero) unless it is acted upon by an
external force.
- Newton's second law of motion: For an
unbalanced force acting on a body, the acceleration produced is
proportional to the force impressed; the constant of proportionality
is the inertial mass of the body.
- Newton's third law of motion: In a system where no external
forces are present, every action force is always opposed by an equal
and opposite reaction
Lesson # 2: Tycoon
Rollercoaster Program http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/lessons/physical.html
Day 1
Teacher should familiarize the students with the basics of Gravitational
and Centripetal force and the operation of
the game RollerCoaster Tycoon. The students
do not need a full tutorial on all aspects of the game. You only need
to teach the students how to start the game, choose and design a custom
rollercoaster, and how to test run the coaster. Detailed instructions
can be found on pages 5 to 7 of the Software Instruction manual.
The teacher should give all students a hand-out copy of these pages for the
student’s reference.
The students should be allowed to experiment with the construction of
short, simple roller coaster designs. It may take the entire first
class for the students to become proficient in completing the loop and
finding top and bottom elevations that allow the cars to complete a full
circuit.
9/ 18-19
Rollercoaster WebQuest
Today you will have
a chance to create rollercoaster simulations to explore the physics related
to model building. This is your last
stop before your group will begin to design, and build your own working
model. You must complete this sheet
ON YOUR OWN. Then as a group you
will begin a draw a simple design with dimensions that will be submitted
before you begin to build.
YOU MUST BRING IN
DUCT TAPE in order to build your rollercoaster out of cardboard.
9/19
Rollercoaster Vocabulary
Before you begin your sketch of your rollercoaster you must define
the terms in
using the Rollercoaster Vocabulary link
above. All terms will be included
during
your formal video presentation to the class on your understanding of
the physics
behind rollercoaster building.
REMEMBER YOUR DUCT TAPE
9/21/07 Roller Coaster Requirements
Many of you have started to think
about and even made preliminary drawings of your team’s roller
coaster. THAT’S GREAT!
Here are some things to remember
DESIGN PLANS →These are
due today
→1. WHO WILL DO WHAT??????? CREATE A JOBS LIST
→2. use this scale1 cm = 10 meters
→3. You must have your final design
approved. It must be sketched out
very carefully. Use a scale HEIGHTS AND MEASUREMENTS MUST BE
INCLUDED. Remember it will be
part of your final presentation.
4.
You must have
a materials schedule of what things you used in your construction phase.
FOR PROCEDURES
http://www.scs.unr.edu/~bnowak/myquest/index.html
Process
1. To begin this
task, you must first organize into groups. Working in groups will
allow you to finish the large amount of work required in the short amount
of time you have to do it. Through sharing the workload you should
finish your project on time.
2. Each member of
your group must have a specific responsibility. Even though you are
all responsible for your project, each person will make sure that their
part of the project is complete to the best of their ability. Here
are some ideas for responsibilities for group members:
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PowerPoint Designer-Your job will be to gather input from
the group and design a presentation. Your group should agree on how
many slides, links, graphics, etc. will be in your presentation.
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Researcher-Your job will be to gather
information on topics that your group needs more information on.
You may use the resources section of this page for sites to use (see
above) or you may find your own. Additional links are listed in the
conclusion section of this page (see below).
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Materials Expert-Your job will be to locate and gather
materials required for your roller coaster. Make sure the materials
that your group wants to use are safe, accessible, and practical.
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Scheduling
Coordinator-Your
job will be to create a schedule for your group to follow. Keep in mind
that each group member will have to go through the quest which will
require Internet time. Write down deadlines for things like when
the quest needs to be completed, when the presentation needs to be
started/finished, when coaster materials are needed, etc.
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Design Engineer-Your job will be to test out ideas
that the group has regarding the materials you plan to use for your
roller coaster. Keeping in mind cost and how easy it will be to get
materials, you will have the final say in what materials will work best.
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Documentation
Specialist-Your
job will be to take notes throughout the entire project. Your notes
must contain information on what was learned in the quest so group
members can refer back to them. Starting a journal of the whole
adventure right now is a great idea.
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Feel free to create other
jobs for more members or to compact these jobs for less members.
3. Following your
schedule, begin the WebQuest. Make sure to
complete all tasks included in the quest and follow it in order.
4. When all group
members have completed the WebQuest, begin to
construct your presentation and your roller coaster.
5. Be sure to test
and retest your completed roller coaster.
6. Take an I-Movie
of your marble on a test run of your roller coaster. Insert this
recording into your PowerPoint presentation.
7. Present your project to your
class.
FOR DIRECTIONS
http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/programs/rollercoaster
 
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Each group should have the following:
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Tennis ball
(or similar-sized ball)/ OR MARBLES
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TWO PIECEs
OF 100cm X 200cm OR
Two pieces of 70 cm × 200 cm corrugated cardboard or foam board
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Heavy-duty
scissors
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Box
knife and Saw
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Meterstick
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Duct
Tape
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1.
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Tell students they will be
designing and constructing cardboard “tennis ball” roller coasters with
three hills. The tennis ball in each design must start from the top of
the first hill, roll up and down the other two hills, and exit the end
of the track. Each roller coaster will be judged in a class
competition. The track with the greatest total of vertical heights for
all three hills—if the tennis ball completes the course—will be named
the winning design.
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2.
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Have students consider the
following when designing their roller coasters:
- Can all the hills be the same height? If not, why? Can they
get bigger or must they get smaller? How will you determine how
big or how small the hills can be and still win this contest?
- Does the steepness of the hill count? Is it better to make
the hills steep or not so steep? Why?
- How curvy should the tops of the hills and the valleys be?
Should you design sharp turns or smooth turns? Why?
- What provides resistance on the roller coaster causing the
tennis ball to slow down? How can this resistance be reduced?
Note: Leave students with enough
time to make revisions to their original design—an important factor in
the world of design and engineering.
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3.
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Divide students into small groups
and give each group the materials listed earlier. The left and right
roller coaster tracks will be made from the two pieces of corrugated
cardboard that must be cut out as identical shapes. Each valley in the
roller coaster must dip to a height of 20 centimeters from the
bottom of the cardboard. Have students use heavy-duty scissors or a box
knife to cut out both tracks. They will probably have their own ideas
on how the roller coaster should be shaped, but here is an idea on how
to lay out the roller coaster on the cardboard.
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4.
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From the excess cardboard, students
should cut out twenty-five 4 cm × 12 cm rectangles. These rectangles
will serve as spacers between the two cutout tracks. Put glue along
both of the 12-centimeter edges and fasten them to various places between
the two tracks so that the tracks are rigid and separated by a distance
of 4 centimeters.
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5.
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Here is an example of how the score
for a roller coaster should be calculated for the contest. Measure the
heights of each of the three required hills and add them up. The roller
coaster with the greatest total height of the three hills, whose tennis
ball successfully completed its journey, is the winner.
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10/8/07
Opening
for CardBoard Boat Challenge
PowerPoint and Documents
Web Resources:
www.physicsclassroom.com/mmedia/circmot/rcd.html
www.glenbrook.k12.il.us/gbssci/phys/mmedia/circmot/rcd.html
Opening Rollercoaster.ppt
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5/21/2008 7:44 AM
