LESSON PLAN ON GRAVITY AND CENTRIPETAL FORCE
Developed by: Mike Hetherington
 
TOPIC: UNDERSTANDING GRAVITY AND CENTRIPETAL FORCE THROUGH THE DESIGN AND TESTING OF ROLLER COASTERS.
 
GRADE LEVEL : 7th – 12th grade
TIME REQUIRED: THREE– 40 minute classes

PRELIMINARY KNOWLEGE:
Students should have at least a elementary knowledge of the definition of velocity, gravitational force, and centripetal force.

OBJECTIVES:
1. The students will be able to design a roller coaster track that will allow a series of cars to successfully complete a circuit route.
2. The students will be able to demonstrate how different static variables in the physical layout and properties of the designed track effect the dynamic results in the system, including the maximum speed of the car, the time of the circuit revolution, the maximum positive and negative g - forces in both the horizontal and vertical plane, and the overall success of failure of the system.

3. Students will be able to successfully predict the results that changes in static system variables will cause on the dynamic aspects of the system.
 
REQUIRED MATERIAL AND EQUIPMENT:
Paper, pencils, , word processing program such as Microsoft Word, Software - RollerCoaster Tycoon CD-ROM published by Hasbro Interactive - 1999, Computers - PC with with min. 4x CD-ROM drive, min 90 Mhz Pentium or better, Windows 95 operating system or better, min. 16 Mb of RAM, SVGA graphics with video card min 1Mb memory, DirectX version 5.0 or higher (can be installed during installation process.)
PROCEEDURE:
Day 1:
Teacher should familiarize the students with the basics of Gravitational and Centripetal  force and the operation of the game RollerCoaster Tycoon.  The students do not need a full tutorial on all aspects of the game.  You only need to teach the students how to start the game, choose and design a custom rollercoaster, and how to test run the coaster.  Detailed instructions can be found on pages 5 to 7 of the Software Instruction manual.
The teacher should give all students a hand-out copy of these pages for the students reference.
The students should be allowed to experiment with the construction of short, simple roller coaster designs.  It may take the entire first class for the students to become proficient in completing the loop and finding top and bottom elevations that allow the cars to complete a full circuit.
Day 2:
 The students should design a roller coaster and do a test run, then log the following information from the measurements and test data display window.
INITIAL RIDE
RIDE LENGTH:
MAXIMUM ALTITUDE
TIME OF RUN
MAXIMUM SPEED
AVERAGE SPEED
MAXIMUM POSITVE VERTICAL G - FORCE
MAXIMUM NEGATIVE VERTICAL G - FORCE
MAXIMUM LATERAL G - FORCE
NUMBER OF DROPS
HIGHEST DROP HEIGHT

After the initial ride data is noted, the student should proceed to make a modification to his roller coaster design ( modify one of the variables - the length, maximum altitude, highest drop height etc.).  After making the modifications but prior to making a new test run, the student should answer the following questions in writing:
1. What was the modification?
2. What effect will the modification have on the entire system (The roller coaster).
3. Why do you think the modification will effect the system?
Next the student should make a test run on the modified roller coaster and record the results :
 Modification #
RIDE LENGTH:
MAXIMUM ALTITUDE
TIME OF RUN
MAXIMUM SPEED
AVERAGE SPEED
MAXIMUM POSITVE VERTICAL G - FORCE
MAXIMUM NEGATIVE VERTICAL G - FORCE
MAXIMUM LATERAL G - FORCE
NUMBER OF DROPS
HIGHEST DROP HEIGHT
HOW DID THE MODIFICATION EFFECT THE SYSTEM AND WHY?

Repeat the above exercise 5 times, changing either a turn radius, the maximum height or the slope of a decline or incline.  Record the anticipated and actual results as noted above.

Day 3: After all students have completed the exercise, have them share their results with the class.  From the verbal reports, identify any modifications that effected maximum speed ( Gravity - Highest drop height ), Vertical G’s , Horizontal G’s (Centripetal force).

CLOSURE AND EVALUATION: Have the students write a one page report on the experience.  The report should include an explanation of how modifications to the variables in the system effect the system.  They should also cite examples of gravitational and centripetal force in a roller coaster system and how those forces effect the cars on their way through the system.

LESSON PLAN #2  developed by Diana Kimiatek

Grade:  6th.
 Time: one 55-60 min. period.

Objectives:. Students will be able to calculate their prospective weights and
ages on other planets using the supplied conversion factors from the Planet
Hop website..  They will do so using calculators or automatically, by using
the Excel spreadsheet. They will explore the relationship between planet mass
or gravitational pull and their own weight and the relationship between
distance from an object and the period of revolution or time it takes to
revolve around it. They will predict, hypothesize and compare their findings.

Materials: Calculators, PCs with internet access for researching and
collecting data. Microsoft Excel.

Initiation: Teacher and class will review how to use Excel for spreadsheets.
Teacher illustrates how the spreadsheet will automatically calculate their
respective ages and weights when they punch in the information.

Procedure: Teacher will suggest the following bookmarked sites:
http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/solar_system_level2/planet_hop.html
 for data. Students will individually come up to the This lesson is a good
example of integrating Math, Science and Technology.

Extensions: For those who want to go further, they may convert their weights
into kilograms and proceed to calculate the weights with respect to other planets.
Another  extension would be to calculate weight and age with respect to the Sun.

Modifications: students with limited abilities may choose 2-3 planets out of
the eight and limit their calculations.

Closure: Students will discuss their findings and reach conclusions about the
planet facts. They are assessed on participation and completion of task.

TITLE: Sink or Float
AUTHOR: Max Echevarria with background information provided by www.eecs.umich.edu
GRADE LEVEL: Grades 6th and 7th
ROLE OF TEACHER: Facilitator

OVERVIEW: The Students will be given a chance to work together to determine the relationship between buoyancy and water displacement.  Before the lesson I will give them a brief review of the subject matter.  The review will consist of an explanation of how ships float and why they sink.  I will use pictures on the chalkboard to help explain that the weight of the ship is less than the pressure exerted by the water, allowing the ship to float.

PURPOSE:  The purpose of this lesson is for the student to gain a better understanding of how buoyancy works in our everyday lives.  The activities will show them in a simplified way what happens when ships are out at sea and what happens if they have too much weight.  Students can also use this information to adapt them to the historical context of the Salem Witch trials and whether or not it was possible for people to sink to the bottom of the sea or whether they floated to the top and why.

OBJECTIVE: Students will be able to orally and/or visually:
1. Answer what the relationship between the weight of the objects and the water displacement is using variables.
2. Show how they collected data and present it using a graph.
3. Show what is the dependent and independent variables on the graph.
4. Show how this relates to the Salem Witch trials.

ACTIVITIES:
1. Brief review of previous knowledge of buoyancy and math will be given.
2. Introduce the lesson by having them break into groups of three and assigning jobs. i.e. one will take down data, one will get materials, one will add poker chips.
3. I will give the student step by step instruction on creating an aluminum boat and a hand out will be given explaining the same steps.
4. Students will measure 500 ml of water and place it into a small bowl with 10mL markings.
5. The Aluminum boat will be placed on the water and the student will measure if any water is displaced.
6. A poker chip will be placed inside the boat one by one, until it sinks.  The students will estimate the amount of water displaced in ml, if any displacement takes place, after each poker chip is added and record it.
7. The students will take the data and make a graph assigning the x axis weight and the y-axis the number of chips.  They will then determine which is the dependent variable and which is the independent variable.
8. Discussion of results, questions, and answers so that they can have a clear understanding of what they learned individually and as a group.

ASSESMENT:  The students will be assessed on their knowledge by the discussion taking place amongst themselves heard by the Facilitator as he/she watches the students in the doing the activity.  They will be judged on their ability to work together and on the data and graphs that they collected and created.  Some evaluation will also be based on their ability to use this information to adapt it to other subject matter i.e. Witch trials.

RESOURCES/MATERIALS: The Students will be provided with the materials needed by the teacher which will include; bowls, graduated cylinders, graphing paper, water, aluminum foil, poker chips, rulers, markers, labels, textbooks, and internet resources.  What the students will need is some knowledge of mathematics concepts such as; variables, equations, and graphs.  They will also need to have some basic scientific knowledge in physical science such as displacement and measurement tools.