Below are ideas for extending this topic beyond the Exploration & Activity which you just completed.

• End of Mystery Assessment and Answer Key
• Online resource: Roller coaster simulations
• Activity: Build a roller coaster
• Activity: Swinging Science

On these sites, students can experiment with roller coasters on the computer, testing their theories and trying different designs.

A simple roller coaster game from PBS Kids lets students experiment with the basics.

A more powerful simulation lets students add and change the height of hills and loops, testing the coaster to see what works. This simulation was created by Funderstanding, a website dedicated to providing inspiring resources.

Have students build roller coasters of their own design, using foam rubber tracks and working in teams of four.

You’ll find simple instructions and inspiration for your students at PBS Kids. At the bottom of the page, there are pdfs of instructions in both English and Spanish.

To become an instant expert on foam tube coasters, read these coaster-building instructions, complete with common mistakes and trouble-shooting tips. They were created by by an engineering teacher who works in afterschool programs.

Explore energy using a playground swing. Swinging with Style gives students a chance to burn off energy while learning science. They will gather data in the playground, then graph and analyze their results in the classroom.

Science of Swinging is a more extended exploration of pendulums. It provides detailed background information for the teacher.

Both resources were created by Teach Engineering, a digital library of classroom science resources complied by university educators with National Science Foundation support.