Show Off Simple Machines With a Roller Coaster Challenge!

Get ready to bring physics to life with a roller coaster design challenge that highlights the magic of simple machines! In this hands-on Roller Coaster Design Project, students will harness the power of levers, pulleys, inclined planes, and more to design, draw, and label their own model roller coasters. This engaging challenge encourages students to think critically about how simple machines work together to create thrilling, efficient, and fun coaster designs.

Completing The Roller Coaster Challenge Activity

For this Roller Coaster STEM challenge, students will design a roller coaster found in a theme park. Their roller coaster design must include simple machines to help it complete a full run. Their coasters cannot stop at any point during a run. Students will need to use their knowledge of simple machines, forces, and motion to ensure they keep running. This roller coaster STEM project requires students to design a coaster that includes at least two of each of the simple machines below.

• Wheel and Axle
• Pulley
• Lever
• Wedge
• Inclined Plane
• Screw

In this task, students will plan and design a coaster with specific criteria to create a large display poster. Once their design is drawn, students will then identify examples of different simple machines and explain how the different features and components work on their coaster. This resource includes the following Roller Coaster Challenge templates to help students organize and record their designs:

• Roller Coaster STEM Challenge Design Plan
• Simple Machines Chart
• Introduction and Materials List for Teachers/Students
• Roller Coaster STEM Challenge Sketching Template
• Roller Coaster STEM Project Checklist
• Roller Coaster STEM Project Rubric

We recommend printing this resource as a packet and providing each student with an individual copy.

Download and Print Your Roller Coaster STEM Challenge

This resource is available as a printable PDF and as a fully editable Google Slides resource. To get your copy, click the dropdown arrow on the download button and select your preferred file format.

This resource was created by Lindsey Phillips, a teacher and Teach Starter collaborator.

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