Paper Roller Coaster Momentum & Energy STEM Lab (ENG05) | Middle School Mechanical Physics (Grades 6-8)

? Paper Roller Coaster Momentum & Energy STEM Lab (ENG05)

Explore mechanical physics, gravitational potential energy, kinetic energy, friction, and centripetal acceleration! The Paper Roller Coaster Momentum & Energy STEM Lab (ENG05) challenges middle school student teams to act as amusement park engineers, designing a functional paper roller coaster track with vertical loops and banked turns to safely guide a marble through maximum run time.

Students explore potential vs. kinetic energy transformations, energy conservation, friction loss, centripetal force dynamics, and average velocity calculations!

? WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THIS 3-PAGE PACKET?

• ? Page 1: Teacher Guide & Lesson Plan: NGSS alignment (MS-PS3-1, MS-PS3-2, MS-ETS1-2), target science concepts, and station setup guide. Expected student outcomes, answer keys, and track alignment troubleshooting tips.

• ? Page 2: Student Mission Card & Blueprint: Real-world mechanical engineering and theme park ride infrastructure scenario hook. Clear material limits box (cardstock track strips, tape, marble, meter stick, timer). Dedicated Coaster Track Elevation & Energy Vector Schematic sketching zone.

• ? Page 3: Testing Log & Scientific Reflection: Structured Data Testing Table (track length cm, run time s, performance failure modes). Applied Math Connection (calculate Average Velocity v = d / t). Physics reflection questions.

? CORE STEM SKILLS COVERED:

• Mechanical Engineering & Theme Park Physics Mechanics

• Gravitational Potential Energy & Kinetic Energy Transformations

• Centripetal Acceleration Vector Analysis & Friction Control

• Data Logging, Time Measurement (s), and Velocity Math Calculations

? WHY TEACHERS LOVE THIS RESOURCE:

• 3-Page Professional Layout: Includes a complete Teacher Guide for seamless prep, keeping student lab sheets clean and ready to print!

• Low-Cost Materials: Uses simple cardstock or construction paper, masking tape, marbles, and stopwatches.

• High-Impact Physics Lab: Transforms energy equations and motion laws into an exciting, hands-on, high-speed engineering challenge!

• Format: High-resolution, print-ready PDF format (3 Pages).

Target Grades: 6th, 7th, 8th / Middle School

Subject Area: Physical Science, Physics, Mechanical Engineering, STEM Labs, Potential and Kinetic Energy

Please visit my Amped Up Learning store: https://ampeduplearning.com/teacher-contributor-stores/science-contributors/innovative-middle-school-stem/