Lakeland HS Students Use Roller Coasters to Bring Physics Alive

Roller coasters are favorites of the young and old. At Lakeland High School, students in Frank Prost's Physics classes were able to experience them from a different, closer point of view.

Students were given the Paper Roller Coaster project as a fun and engaging STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) related activity. Students then used their knowledge of physics and engineering to construct a roller coaster out of nothing but paper and Scotch tape. Over the course of the project students applied their knowledge of Newton's Laws, uniform circular motion and energy to create a roller coaster which allows its marble passenger to travel more than 30 seconds. The Paper Roller Coaster project is just one of the many engaging activities that Prost uses in his class to make the Physics come alive.

“Many students who do not excel with the mathematics or language portions of this class were able to exceed the expectations and requirements of this assignment,” explained Prost. “Students learned how to work with their hands and develop solutions to problems as they revealed themselves, which is a skill that is necessary for our ever developing society.”

"These types of hands-on activities require students to create, think, and apply their learning. Science today is more about integrating Math, Science, and Technology. This project challenges the students and makes it fun" Mrs. Viggiano, Director of Curriculum, Science K-1.