McKenna Elementary -

McKenna's fourth grade students have taken off on researching, designing, and building paper roller coasters! In STEAM, students completed research on an existing roller coaster that they had interest in. In cooperative groups, their research assisted in developing a theme for their own coaster including names such as G.O.A.T, Spooky Space, King Sponge Bob, and Football Fury. Students designed the base that their coaster is on and have been using teamwork to build their sturdy columns and beams. The next step included building the track that they continuously tested with a marble. During this stage of the engineering process, they improved their tracks by taking into consideration the important physics concepts that they have learned about. These Next Generation Science principles include potential and kinetic energy, the relationship between height and stored energy, friction, gravity, and acceleration.  The students have also learned about other terms related to engineering their roller coasters such as merges, loops, wide turns, sharp turns, and funnels.