Coaster Crazy--A Roller Coaster Webquest

In your team of 3 each person will choose their specific and important role. The roles are historian, physicist, and engineer. Each person has specified steps and information they must gather. NOTE: Even though you have only one role, each member is responsible for knowing the information so each day you must teach each other what you have learned. This is why taking good notes will be helpful to your group.

Step 1: Each member will keep an Information Journal. Each activity has a list of questions you must answer, information you must gather, or things you must do in your Information Journal.

Step 2: You will complete the first steps as a team.

1) In your Information Journal answer the following questions to assess your prior knowledge:

a) What have been your experiences on roller coasters?

b) What have you felt when you were on the roller coasters?

c) What forces and motion were you feeling on the roller coasters?

2) Watch the video called "Build it Bigger: Kinetic Madness" from http://science.howstuffworks.com/roller-coaster1.htm and answer the following questions about the video:

a) From watching the video, what do you think potential energy is?

b) What do you think kinetic energy is?

c) Any other information you must consider when designing your coaster?

Step 3: Choose your role and complete the information below about your job. Be sure you record the information you collected in your Information Journal.

Historian: The historian collects and analyzes historical information including facts, data, and statistics. Visit the links below and answer the questions in your Information Journal.

1. Click here to research the history of roller coasters. What was the name and speed of the first coaster built at Coney Island? Using the information from this web page and the two others below, create a time line using Timeliner or Microsoft Word that includes details such as name, date, and design. Include a paragraph about what has been the greatest reason or influence for this evolution.

Other websites:

Thrill Ride

Pictorial Time line

Ultimate Roller Coaster Database

2. Lawsuits have come about because of injuries on roller coasters and other thrill rides at theme parks. Are roller coasters safe? Does the size or speed of the roller coaster have an effect on the safety of the ride? Click on the links below to find out.

All About Roller Coasters

How Safe?

How Roller Coasters Work Be sure to watch the video as well.

Physicist: Lists and describes the energy and other physical effects of roller coasters. Visit the links below and answer the questions in your Information Journal.

1. Visit here to determine what different types of energy are acting on a roller coaster. Most roller coasters are only powered by one thing, what is it?

Other Websites:

Energy

Friction and Gravity Play this simulation to determine the effects of gravity and friction on a roller coaster

Centripetal Force

2. Discover Newton's Laws of physics by visiting the sites below. Then create a diagram using a program of your choice to explain the three laws.

Websites:

Newton's Laws

NASA's Explanation

Engineer: The engineer studies the designs and features of a roller coaster and plan's the roller coaster on paper.

1. Research the difference between wooden and metal roller coasters. Create a document of some sort (Not a paragraphed paper) to describe what you found.

Websites:

Metal vs Wooden

The Great Debate

2. After visiting the websites below, create a blueprint of your roller coaster on graph paper. Be sure to look at the document at the bottom that lists all the features your roller coaster must have. Calculate the approximate slope of all downhill and uphill slopes.

Websites:

How to Calculate Slope

Properties of Slope

Step 4: Come back together as a group and complete "Final Steps" below. in which you will finalize the plan and create your roller coaster.

1. Explain in detail all of the information you obtained from your role and show your product you created as an individual.

2. Finalize the plan for the roller coaster. Make sure you have a scale to your drawing.

3. Create your 3D model of your roller coaster using the directions in the attachment below.

4. Determine what scale your 3D model is to what it's actual life-size would be and be prepared to explain why mathematically and scientifically that scale would be a good choice.

5. Present your roller coaster on Roller Coaster Fair Day. All members must be able to describe the history of roller coasters, all of the vocabulary words on the coaster, and the mathematics portions.