Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Paper Roller Coasters

One of my students had a passion for all things roller coasters, so I did paper roller coasters with my 5th grade math students this year, and they loved it!  Students worked on it this fall in small groups, and then wanted to re-visit it at the end of the year so they all collaborated together to make a giant one.   The fine motor piece of cutting, folding, and taping made it difficult for younger students.  I would recommend 4th - high school students.  You could use it as a very exploratory project where students are creating and collaborating, or you could go very in depth into the math and science of how roller coasters work.    There are tons of books about the history of roller coasters, and the science of roller coasters. The project came from www.PaperRollerCoasters.com  Enjoy!