Roller Coaster STEM Challenge: Harness the Power of Forces!
by Nidia Hurtado Diaz
In this hands-on STEM challenge, 4th graders become engineers by designing, testing, and optimizing miniature roller coasters! Students will:
Investigate forces (gravity, friction) and energy transfer (potential → kinetic)
Apply the engineering design process to solve real-world problems like loops and drops
Discover cause-and-effect relationships (e.g., higher hills = faster speeds)
Lesson Grade Level
4th GradeLesson Plan Link/URL
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ntUf_fKNRp_MPrYAZe2DirzdpmFAT2Yf/edit?u…Subject Area
Science Physical Science P4: Energy Transfer Technology 1. Empowered Learner 4. Innovative Designer Engineering S2: Apply the Engineering Design Process
Featured
Off
Related Content
Featured
A Shocking Dystopia: STEM Adventures in The City of Ember Part 2 of 4: A Way to See in the Dark
Grades:
4th Grade
This lesson is PART 2 of a four-lesson unit, which focuses on futures thinking, the phenomenon of electricity, closed-system agriculture, and water as a renewable energy resource. “The City of Ember”
Grades:
4th Grade, 5th Grade
Students will learn about kinetic and potential energy and how energy transfers. They will use that knowledge in order to collaborate with peers to create a roller coaster that will demonstrate this
Featured
A Shocking Dystopia: STEM Adventures in The City of Ember Part 4 of 4: Where the River Goes
Grades:
4th Grade
This lesson is PART 4 of a four-lesson unit, which focuses on futures thinking, the phenomenon of electricity, closed-system agriculture, and water as a renewable energy resource. “The City of Ember”