Students in Miss Stonelake’s 8th grade integrated science class designed and built large models of roller coasters as part of a month-long class project that concluded with classroom presentations on  December 21 and 22, which was also Christmas Pajama Dress Down Day. The students worked individually and in groups, both in class and at home, using household materials to complete their unique designs, some of which spanned nearly 4 feet high and 4 feet wide.

Stonelake said the project helped the middle school students apply what they had learned about energy conversion, friction, and the law of conservation of energy. The students were required to name and decorate their coasters and include hills, loops, and a vehicle that could travel through the entire coaster without stopping. Stonelake said every roller coaster highlighted in this article achieved the necessary requirements.

Pictured above with Miss Stonelake are Amelia D’Anna (left) and Mikalya Cubbage (right), with their roller coaster named “Tropical Coaster.” Other roller coasters with the students who designed and built them are pictured below.