Driving Question for the Project
How would you develop a taller and faster roller coaster for DollyWood Theme Park in Tennessee?
Context
Students:
Curriculum
The 7th grade CCSS curriculum for science and math include the following principles related to this unit
Relevance to Real Life
- This Project Based Learning (PBL) unit is designed for middle school students, with current standards tailored to meet 7th grade Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for Math and Science
- The students for this unit are 4 blocks of approximately 25 7th grade math and science students. These students participate in approximately 65 minute blocks of the subjects for about 2-3 weeks.
- The students are distributed evenly across gender, with approximately half of the students being male and the other half female. (Since these courses are not specified and are more general, the gender distribution should be closer to equal.)
- This question offers students opportunities for exploring many investigative questions, such as how form affects function, how to work within space and time constraints, applying safety protocol and standards to design, construction and models of roller coasters, impacts of form and function on the body, the impacts of speed and velocity, and others.
- This question and study are relevant and meaningful to student interests. Since many of these students live in Knoxville or in Tennessee in general, the chances of them knowing about Dollywood and having visited it are higher. Students at this age also enjoy riding roller coasters and visiting theme parks.
- This study generates authenticity by capturing the interest of the students involved. The topics discussed and assessed are engaging and interesting to their personal lives.
- Student engagement is key in this study and any lesson. Students will work within budgets, time constraints, and have rubrics with standards and guidelines for activities. Students will also have jobs within the group that create interdependence and progress with communication and collaboration.
- Maintaining student interest: the driving question will be posted throughout the room, as well as printed on key elements of assignments and activities. Students will manage a goals checklist that progresses them toward the driving question.
Curriculum
The 7th grade CCSS curriculum for science and math include the following principles related to this unit
- Math: algebraic thinking, modeling mathematics ideas, ratios and rates, solving multi-step problems, reporting results, input and output, slope of lines, geometry and measurement, and data analysis.
- Science: cause and effect, motion and laws of nature, flow of energy, physical science, scientific method, experiments and modeling, and communication of concepts.
- Although this unit mainly encompasses math and science, students will be required to use writing skills, reading and comprehension skills, as well as historical principles of roller coaster design and engineering.
Relevance to Real Life
- This unit focuses on life skills such as communication, collaboration, critical thinking, problem solving, creativity and innovation. This unit is also based on a real theme park that is local to students and affects their daily lives.