4-H STEM Adventures: Challenge 4-Marble Roller Coaster (EC-14)

EXPLORATORY APPROACH

Encourages creativity and deductive reasoning, lacks structure, takes more time, and risks frustration for the youth. Generally best for out-of-school-time settings, large blocks of time, and youth ages 11 to 13.

	MATERIALS Paper plates with tall sides, paper bowls, paper towel rolls, plastic cups, blocks, hot glue, scissors, tape.
	VOCABULARY POTENTIAL ENERGY: Stored energy or energy of position. When the marble is in place at the top of the roller coaster, it has POTENTIAL ENERGY because it is in a high position and a tendency to roll down the track due to gravity.   KINETIC ENERGY: Energy of motion. While the marble is rolling down the track, it has KINETIC ENERGY.
	4-H LIFE SKILL CRITICAL THINKING: You will need to THINK CRITICALLY about how to adjust the roller coaster track and supports to keep the marble on the track.

DO

YOUTH COMPLETE THE ACTIVITY

Watch the Challenge
 

GUIDED APPROACH

Provides structure, promotes good instruction-following habits, increases rate of success, and limits creative solutions. Generally best for classroom settings, finite blocks of time, and youth ages 8 to 10.

	MATERIALS 15 paper plates with tall sides, 10 plastic cups, scissors, tape and a marble.
	VOCABULARY POTENTIAL ENERGY: Stored energy or energy of position. When the marble is in place at the top of the roller coaster, it has POTENTIAL ENERGY because it is in a high position and a tendency to roll down the track due to gravity.   KINETIC ENERGY: Energy of motion. While the marble is rolling down the track, it has KINETIC ENERGY.
	4-H LIFE SKILL CRITICAL THINKING: You will need to THINK CRITICALLY about how to adjust the roller coaster track and supports to keep the marble on the track.

DO

YOUTH COMPLETE THE ACTIVITY

Watch the Challenge
 

STEP 1. IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM

Design and build a roller coaster track for a marble to go from a start position, down a track, to a cup at the bottom.

STEP 2. IMAGINE SOLUTIONS

Think about all of the possible ways you can make your roller coaster. You can cut the curved rims off of paper bowls and paper plates to make the track for the marble to roll down. Tape the rims of cups together to make the supports that will raise the start of the track.

STEP 3. PLAN POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS (SKETCH IT ON A PIECE OF PAPER)

STEP 4. CREATE YOUR MARBLE ROLLER COASTER

1. Use your scissors to cut the curved rims from your paper plates or bowls.
    
2. Tape the rims together to make a track.
    
3. Tape cups together to make a support structure, and tape the start of the track to the top of the cups to increase the potential energy.
    
4. Place a cup at the end of the track to catch the marble.
    
5. Try it! The POTENTIAL ENERGY of the ball at the top of the track becomes kinetic energy as it travels down the track.

STEP 5. IMPROVE YOUR DESIGN

Do you need to change anything to make your roller coaster better? Perhaps you need to add more materials to help the marble stay on the track around the curves. You can go back to Step 1, and make the changes to improve your roller coaster.