roller coasters!
Creating an exhilarating ride
All students in 6th and 8th grade tech classes participated in a straw roller coaster design challenge. Tech teacher Marcia Daley-Savo gave each student a kit which included straws, a golf ball and a small cup. She challenged them to create a roller coaster using the engineering design process and their recently gained knowledge of simple machines.
One of the objectives of this activity was to actually get kids off their screens and get them involved in hands-on activities while in a remote learning environment. After completion of their roller coasters, students demonstrated their work and reflected on the design process using a software product called Flipgrid. "Everyone did a terrific job and showed great creativity," said Daley-Savo.