Thrills, Teamwork, and Physics: 6th Grade Students Take Learning for a Ride with Roller Coaster Design Challenge

Learning is an adventure—and our 6th grade students recently proved just how exhilarating that adventure can be. As part of an interdisciplinary project that seamlessly blended physics, engineering, and collaboration, students were tasked with designing and building model roller coasters in response to a creative, real-world challenge.

The inspiration for this project came from a fictional scenario: Wild Adventures Amusement Park, eager to outshine its rival Six Flags, needed a new roller coaster that was equal parts thrilling and safe. 6th grade students rose to the occasion, applying their knowledge from the Force and Motion unit to construct functional roller coasters that demonstrated principles such as kinetic and potential energy, friction, gravity, acceleration, and centripetal force.

Each design included at least one loop, one hill, and one curve—and the ultimate test was for a marble to complete the track from start to finish without derailing. It was a hands-on, minds-on experience that invited students to move beyond textbooks and into the dynamic world of applied science.

More than a test of physics, this project encouraged students to think critically and work collaboratively. After days of planning, testing, and refining their coasters, students presented their final designs to a mock “Board of Directors.” In these presentations, students articulated how the forces at work in their designs balanced excitement with safety, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the science of amusement park rides.

Through curiosity-driven inquiry and authentic problem-solving, students connected classroom learning to the wider world in ways that were both meaningful and memorable. As one student reflected, “It felt amazing to actually build something and see it work. It made science feel real.”