Amusement Park Brainstorming

We are preparing for a culminating project for our Simple Machines unit. Students will be building their own model amusement park ride, using their knowledge of simple machines. 

Today, we looked at examples from past Ramsay students. We discussed how these students used simple machines to create rides, such as roller coasters, ferris wheels, carousels, and more! We brainstormed types of rides that fit under each simple machine category (pictured below). 

We also read the book, Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty. We talked about the message in the book: perseverance when building. We discussed how important it is to come into this project with the right mindset, saying things to ourselves like: This won't be perfect. I will make mistakes. I might not have a ride that works at the end. I can problem-solve. Students know they will be assessed on how they use their simple machines knowledge to design a ride, as well as their problem-solving when building. Having a ride that works at the end is not as important. 

We are in the brainstorming stage of this project. Students are encouraged to tell their family about the assignment and think of ideas at home. 

The week of March 18, we will be planning in class.

Over the week of March 25 (Spring Break), students can gather materials at home and discuss plans with their family.

The week of April 1, we will be building!