Hands On Activity

Background Information: The purpose of this exercise is to use your own creative imagination to create your own roller coaster. With the right materials and resources, this exercise should take no longer than 45 minutes. Please see below for more details:

Materials

1. A cardboard base (optional)

2. Scissors

3. Standard size Marble (1 per roller coaster)

• Anything smaller will cause this activity not to work properly

4. Tape

5. Roller coaster template sheets pre-printed on cardstock:

Templates

• Have additional sheets on standby for this activity

Instructions

1. Design roller coaster on paper first to figure out how many supports and pieces of track you will need. Please note to start your marble at the top of the track.

• Consider designing two options (Option 1: Use as main option and Option 2: Use as backup if “option 1” doesn’t work accordingly.)

2. Start assembling and tape track together based off initial design. Please note to use the piece of cardboard (optional) as the base of your design.

• Note: When taping the tracks together please be advised that the more you retape, the tracks can tear and can affect the overall design.

3. Place marble at top of track and let it go – See below for result details

• If marble didn’t make it to the end – figure out why and make changes to design accordingly. It’s important to observe where the marble got stuck or if marble was moving too slow.

• If marble made it to the end – be creative and try adding more pieces to get the same result (optional).

Types of Building Track Segments

Note: Before building an entire roller coaster, practice building individual track segments. If you are not using the kit, you will need to print the templates and cut out the pieces or follow the instructions below to draw your own using a pencil and ruler.

Video tutorial: https://youtu.be/U7XYzPfutBs - Please watch before starting activity

Straight Segment (How to Build)

1. Cut a 7.5 cm (3 inch) wide strip of paper.

2. Draw two parallel lines that divide it into three 2.5 cm-wide strips.

3. Fold the two sides up 90 degrees along those lines to form walls.

Loop or Hill Segment (How to Build)

1. Cut a 7.5 cm (3 inch) wide strip of paper.

2. Draw two parallel lines that divide it into three 2.5 cm-wide strips.

3. Make marks every 2.5 cm along the long edges of the paper.

4. Cut inward 2.5 cm from these marks to form tabs.

5. Fold the tabs up 90 degrees.

6. Bend the track into the shape you want, and tap the tabs together to hold it in place. This step is easier with two people, one to hold the track in place and one to do the taping.

Curve Segment (How to Build)

1. Cut a 7.5 cm (3 inch) wide strip of paper.

2. Draw two parallel lines that divide it into three 2.5 cm-wide strips.

3. Make marks every 2.5 cm along the long edges of the paper.

4. Cut inward 5 cm (2 inches) from these marks.

5. Fold up the uncut side of the paper 90 degrees to form a wall.

6. Fold up the tabs on the other side to form the other wall.

7. Since the bottom portion of the track is cut into segments, you can bend it horizontally to form a curve. Tape the tabs together to hold the curve in place.

Support Strut (How to Build)

1. Cut a 6.25cm (2.5 inch) wide strip of paper.

2. Draw four parallel lines that divide it into five 1.25 cm (0.5 inch) wide strips.

3. Cut inward 2.5 cm along these lines from one edge.

4. Fold along the lines to form a square shape (so two of the segments overlap), and use tape to hold in place.

5. Fold the tabs you cut at the end outward. This will allow you to tape the tabs flat to a piece of cardboard, so your strut can stand upright.