SGsLearningLog:DesignaRollerCoaster

TheProject:Ingroupsof2or3youwilldesignarollercoasterandmakeaproposalforsellingit.Yourpotentialcustomerisalocal
whowanttobuildaNapaValleythemedamusementpark.Theonlyrequirementsgiventoyouitthatishastobeafun,safe,and
educationalridethatmultipleagegroupscanenjoy.Assuchitcanbenotallerthan100m,nolongerthan2000m,andgonofaster
than32.5m/s.Youwillneedtodesignthelift/launchmechanismaswelltherideitself.

GroupMembers:
RV
AO
SG
Afterreadingabouttheprojectandthinkingaboutit,Whatwouldyouneedtoknowinordertostartdesigningarollercoaster?
Howmanypeoplepercart
Howmanycarts
Whatmaterialcantherollercoasterbemadeoutof?
Heightrestrictionsforriders
Logicalfirststeps/nextsteps..Ourfirststepstotakeinordertostartdesigningtherollercoastermaybeto...

Choosethedesign(scary,friendly,etc.)
Pickatheme
Sketchoutadesignthatwouldallowustouseasmuchasthegiventrackaspossible
Pickoutmaterialyouwillbuildwith(wood,metal)
Figureouthowitwilloperate/move(chain,magnetic)

Feb.23Feb.26
Roles:
Facilitator:AO
Presenter:SG
Writer:RV

LearningActivities
ScaffoldingActivity
(whatwedoinclass)

Learning:Summaryofwhatyoulearned,came
tounderstandorwhatyouget

Connection:HowdoeswhatIlearned
helpmecompletetheproject?

EntryActivity:MakeaLoop

Aftertheactivity,weunderstoodtheaffectspeed
andheightcanhaveonacarmakingitthrougha
loop,ortwo.Withallofthedifferenttestruns,we
gotareallygoodlookathowandifthecarwould
makeitthroughtheloopwiththegivenspeed.

Helpsbetterunderstandhowtomakethe
rollercoasterwiththecorrectmomentumand
speed

WasntatSchool

Endoftheweekreflection:
SomethingIamreallyinterestedinsofaris
Istheamountofenergyitactuallytakestomakethecartgo
throughtheloopandnotfalloff.

SomethingIamstrugglingwithis
Havingasolidideaofhowtoactuallyputtogetherthe
rollercoaster.

AnaccomplishmentoreffortIwanttocelebrateis
Catchingup(forthemostpart)afterbeingsickandmissing
class.

SomethingIneedfrommyteacherorgroupis
MorepracticeproblemsbecausethatishowIwillcatchup.

Feb.29Mar.4
Roles:
Facilitator:AO
Presenter:SG
Writer:RV

LearningActivities

ScaffoldingActivity
(whatwedoinclass)

Learning:Summaryofwhatyoulearned,came
tounderstandorwhatyouget

Connection:HowdoeswhatIlearned
helpmecompletetheproject?

LectureonPulley

Thelectureonthepulleysystemgavemeagood
understandingonhowpulleysarebeneficial.

Thelectureonthepulleysystemhelpsus
understandhowourrollercoastermypossible
getstarted.

ConceptMap

TheconceptmaphavemygroupandIabroad
Theconceptmaphelpedmerealize
ideaofwhatwereallyneeded.Beingabletolayout everythingthatIactuallyneededtoknow,and
everythingweneed,gaveus
howmuchIdontknow.

ReadingRubricsandAsking Readingtherubricsandaskingquestionscaused
Questions
metostartreallythinkingaboutwhatneedstobe
putintoeachpartoftheproject.

Readingtherubricsandaskingquestions
helpedmyunderstandingoftheproject
becauseIpersonallygottoaskquestionsand
questionsthatImighthavehadgotanswered.

BenchmarkOneWorktime
andPresentation

Benchmarkoneworktimehelpedwithmy
understandingbecauseIgottohavesome
grouptimetogooverdifferentpartsand
answerunresolvedquestions

Benchmarkoneworktimeandthepresentation
causedmetoactuallycatchuponeverythingI
havemissedandfinishpartsoftheproject.

Endoftheweekreflection:

SomethingIamreallyinterestedinsofaris
HowexactlymygroupandIwillmakethisprojectwork.

SomethingIamstrugglingwithis
Fullycatchingup,Imstillalittlebehindfrommissingclass
lastweek.

AnaccomplishmentoreffortIwanttocelebrateis
Comingupwithallthemathandtheanswersforbenchmark
one.

SomethingIneedfrommyteacherorgroupis
Morepracticeproblems,andmoretimeworkingonthem.

Mar.7Mar.11
Roles:
Facilitator:RV
Presenter:AO
Writer:SG

LearningActivities

ScaffoldingActivity
(whatwedoinclass)

Learning:Summaryofwhatyoulearned,came
tounderstandorwhatyouget

Connection:HowdoeswhatIlearned
helpmecompletetheproject?

PerformanceTask:Liftinga
WeightfromtheGround

Welearnedhowtouseafewgivennumbersand
trytofigureouthowexactlywewouldbecapableof
liftingaweightoffoftheground.Wehadtoworkas
ateamandtrytocomeupwiththeamountof
pulleysneededtolifttheweight.

Thiswillhelpmewithmyprojectbecausethis
littlemodelgavemeachancetoactually
understandhowmanypulleyswouldneedto
gointotherollercoaster.

pg.72HalfpipeProblems

Ilearnedaboutmechanicalenergy,andhow
Thiswillhelpmeworkontherollercoaster
mechanicalenergyworkswithpotentialenergyand mathandwillallowmetousethemechanical
kineticenergy.
energyequations.

WorkPulleyQuiz

Ilearnedhowuseefficiencyequations,inanactual
setting.Beforethis,Iwouldjustpracticeefficiency
problems,andIwouldbegiventheanswerbeforeI
solvedit.

Thiswillhelpmeaddefficiencytomy
rollercoasterproblems,seeingthatIdidntadd
itlasttime.

pg.73NotesonVideo
Lecture

Ilearnedaboutmechanicalenergy,inmoredepth.I
wasgivenabriefsummaryofmechanicalenergy
beforethehalfpipeproblems,butnowIhave
actualnotesonmechanicalenergy.

Thiswillhelpmecompletemyproject
becausenowIcanfindthemechanical,
potential,andkineticenergyofmy
rollercoasteratdifferentpointsoftheride.


Endoftheweekreflection:

SomethingIamreallyinterestedinsofaris
Mechanicalenergy,Ireallyfindthetopicofhowitisalwaysthe
sameisquiteinteresting.

SomethingIamstrugglingwithis
MakingsureIgetallmymathcorrect,Imakelittlemistakesthat
affecttheendanswer.

AnaccomplishmentoreffortIwanttocelebrateis
Beingabletofinishthehalfpipeproblemsbeforethemajorityof
theclass.

SomethingIneedfrommyteacherorgroupis
Morepracticeproblemsandmoretimetoworkasagroupin
class.

Mar.14Mar.18
Roles:
Facilitator:SG
Presenter:RV
Writer:AO

LearningActivities

ScaffoldingActivity
(whatwedoinclass)

Learning:Summaryofwhatyoulearned,came
tounderstandorwhatyouget

Pg74PracticeQuiz

Ilearnedhowusemechanicalenergyproblemsin
atestsetting.Ipreviouslyusedmechanicalenergy
problemsinothersetting,butnotinatest
environment.

Thishelpsmepracticethesetypesof
problems,allowingmetofeelmoreconfident
withmyproblemsonmyproject.

ConservationofEnergy
Quiz

Ilearnedhowtousemechanicalenergyproblems
withnohelp.Nogroupmembersassistingandno
helpfulhints.

Thishelpsmebecomemoreconfidenton
thesetypesofproblems.Makesmefeel
confidentontheproblemsIuseinmyproject.

WorkTime

Igottospendtimewithmygroup,andactualgetto
workontheprojectasagroup.Werarelyhave
timethatwearealltogether,sothisworktimeis
veryhelpful.

Thishelpedinthecommunicationaspectof
theproject.Insteadoftryingtogetaholdofmy
groupmembers,afterschoolwhenweareall
busy,Igottojustsitdownandwork.

Lab12:HeightandSpeed

Ilearnedhowusingmechanicalenergy,youcan
makeaguessofwhatyourvelocitywillbebefore
youperformyourlab.

Thishelpedmehaveabetterideaofhowto
doallmymathformyrollercoasterproject.

Endoftheweekreflection:

Connection:HowdoeswhatIlearned
helpmecompletetheproject?

SomethingIamreallyinterestedinsofaris
Thelab,Ithoughtthatthewayoffindingtheanswerusing
mechanicalenergy,beforeperformingthelabwasvery
intriguing.

SomethingIamstrugglingwithis
Thewordproblems.Iunderstandthemath,butassoonas
wordsareintertwined,Igetveryconfused.

AnaccomplishmentoreffortIwanttocelebrateis
Trulyunderstandingmechanicalenergy,Ireallyhavegottena
griponhowtoproperlyuseit.

SomethingIneedfrommyteacherorgroupis
Moreworktime,IknowIsayiteverytimebutitreallyishelpful.