Fun STEM Activity Using Roller Coasters (Math, Science, ELA, Engineering)
Do your students love roller coasters or The Pigeon? If so, this cross-curricular STEM activity is for you!
Target Audience
Although, I’m writing this lesson for second grade, it could easily be adjusted down to preschool, kindergarten or first grade; it can also be adjusted up to fourth grade depending on the type of questions you ask your students. You can use this STEM activity in a classroom or a homeschooling situation. I did the activity with a 9-year-old, 8-year-old, and two four-year-olds at home.
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ELA Connection
Note: The Common Core ELA standards that are aligned to this lesson are listed at the end of this post.
A. Read Roller Coaster by Marla Frazee
1. Pre-Reading
What do you think this book will be about?
2. Reading
Spread 1
- What kinds of people are waiting to ride the roller coaster?
Spread 2
- What is different about one of the riders?
- Based on the pictures, which rider do you think has never ridden on a roller coaster before? What makes you think that?
- Making Connections: Have any of you ever ridden a roller coaster? What was it like?
Spread 3
- Describe the roller coaster in the book?
Spread 4
- Who do you think is riding the roller coaster for the first time? What makes you think that?
- Why would someone change their mind about riding a roller coaster?
Spread 6
- Have you ever started to do something and got scared, but it was too late to change your mind? Explain.
Spreads 7-12
- Describe what it’s like to ride the roller coaster?
- Is the girl having fun? Do you think she’s glad that she went?
Spread 14
- What does the girl want to do now? How do you know?
3. Post-reading
- How does the beginning introduce the story and the end conclude the action?
- Who is telling the story? How can you tell?
- How did the main character respond to riding the roller coaster? Can you draw a picture of her feelings. (Hand out a copy of Spread 3 to each student. Read the story again, and have students draw smiley faces, scared faces etc at different parts of the roller coaster.)
B. Read The Pigeon Will Ride the Roller Coaster by Mo Willems
1. Pre-Reading
- How many of you have read “The Pigeon” books? Can you describe The Pigeon?
- For those of you who haven’t read The Pigeon Will Ride the Roller Coaster!, what do you think it will be about?
2. Reading
Title Page
- How is Pigeon feeling? How can you tell?
Spread 1
- How does Pigeon feel about roller coasters? How can you tell?
- There are two hard words on this page. What are they? How can you figure out what they mean?
- What does it mean to be “aquiver with anticipation”? Have you ever felt that way before?
Spread 2
- How long has Pigeon wanted to ride a roller coaster?
Spread 3
- What will Pigeon need to ride the roller coaster?
- Have you ever ridden a roller coaster before? Did you need a ticket?
Spread 4
- Who is first in line? Why is that funny?
- Have you ever had to stand in line before, how did it feel?
Spread 5
- What does “exemplary” mean? How could you find out?
- What does it mean to have “exemplary patience”?
- Describe a time when you had “exemplary patience”?
- What does Pigeon mean when he says, “Will it be ready for me?”
Spreads 6-7
- How does Pigeon imagine the roller coaster?
Spreads 8-9
- What feelings will Pigeon experience?
- Describe a time when you’ve felt several things at once.
Spreads 10-11
- What is Pigeon going to do now?
Spread 12
- How does Pigeon feel about waiting in line? How can you tell?
Spreads 13-17
- Describe Pigeon’s first roller coaster ride.
- Was his first ride the same or different than he imagined? Explain.
- How did he feel about roller coasters when he was finished?
3. Post-reading
- How does the beginning introduce the story and the end conclude the action?
- Who is telling the story? How can you tell?
- How did Pigeon respond to riding the roller coaster?
C. Compare The Pigeon Will Ride the Roller Coaster! by Mo Willems to Marla Frazee’s Roller Coaster
Give students a different/same/different chart and have them fill out the chart with a partner. Then discuss as a class.
STEM Connections
There are a few different ways to approach the STEM engineering process. I developed my own STEM design process using the Notice and Wonder routine that is familiar to many math teachers. It’s pretty simple with simple one-word descriptions. But the NGSS standards also have a STEM design process, but the descriptions are a little more advanced. When doing this with some kids, I used my own STEM design process, but I’ve written up the lesson using the NGSS process as well.
Notice and Wonder
Engineering Design Process
The NGSS describes the Engineering Design Process for Grades K-2:
“Engineering design in the earliest grades introduces students to ‘problems’ as situations that people want to change. They can use tools and materials to solve simple problems, use different representations to convey solutions, and compare different solutions to a problem and determine which is best. Students in all grade levels are not expected to come up with original solutions, although original solutions are always welcome. Emphasis is on thinking through the needs or goals that need to be met, and which solutions best meet those needs and goals.”
A. Define
Scenario: You’ve been hired to create a new roller coaster for Pigeon. Look at the roller coasters from our two books.
Group Work: List all the things you notice and wonder about the two roller coasters. Then list all the things you know about Pigeon. Based on the information you gathered, describe as a group the kind of roller coaster that you think the Pigeon would like.
Class Discussion: Show students some videos of roller coasters. Discuss the different parts of a roller coaster and how they feel. For example, ask students which is more fun a low but steep hill or a high but flattish hill. Have them explain why.
Here are some examples of videos that may work for your classroom:
This is a video of the Little Dipper in Memphis Kiddie Park in Cleveland, Ohio. It’s a kid’s roller coaster.
This video is of Slinky Dog in Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. It is a much faster roller coaster for kids than Little Dipper, but many kids can still ride it since the height restriction is low.
NGSS Engineering Standard
K-2-ETS1-1 Engineering Design: Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change to define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool.
B. Develop Solutions
Individual Work: Each person in the group sketches a potential roller coaster for Pigeon.
Group Work: Then tell students that they will have pipe cleaners, Popsicle sticks, and marshmallows to create a roller coaster. On chart paper have them create their sketch. This helps students learn how to come to a group decision.
Group Work: Have the students build their roller coaster.
NGSS Engineering Standard
K-2-ETS1-2 Engineering Design: Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.
C. Optimize
Group Collaboration: Have two or more groups come together. Have each group describe Pigeon’s roller coaster ride on their coaster and his ride on their neighboring groups’ coaster. Their descriptions can be simple like he goes really fast here because it’s steep and then he curves here etc. Encourage students to use grade appropriate science vocabulary as much as possible.
NGSS Engineering Standard
K-2-ETS1-3 Engineering Design: Analyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same problem to compare the strengths and weaknesses of how each performs.
Note: More detailed NGSS Engineering Design standards can be found at the end of this post.
Math Connection
The math will vary depending on the grade level that you are teaching. The questions may also slightly vary based on the students’ designs. Here are some example questions by grade level:
Grade K
Ask students the following questions: “Which hill is taller? Which hill is shorter? Which flat area is longer? Which flat area is shorter? Which part of the track is the steepest? Which part of the track is the flattest? How do you know?” (The “How do you know?” questions are very important to student thinking.)
Common Core Math Standard
K.MD.2. Directly compare two objects with a measurable attribute in common to see which object has “more of” or “less of” the attribute, and describe the difference. For example, directly compare the heights of two children, and describe one child as taller/shorter.
Grade 1
The focus in Grade 1 is on non-standard units of measure, so you can use Legos, Duplos, sticky notes, or even cut out little Pigeons. Then ask questions such as “How many Duplos high is your tallest hill?” Make sure they label their units, e.g., 7 Lego people. Also, watch for gaps and overlaps.
Common Core Math Standard
1.MD.2 Express the length of an object as a whole number of length units, by laying multiple copies of a shorter object (the length unit) end to end; understand that the length measurement of an object is the number of same-size length units that span it with no gaps or overlaps. Limit to contexts where the object being measured is spanned by a whole number of length units with no gaps or overlaps.
Grade 2
Students should select an appropriate tool to measure. Have them measure the tallest hill once in inches and once in centimeters and compare measurements. You can also have them figure out how to measure the length of their roller coaster. They may come with the idea to measure the length of a pipe cleaner and use that to help them find the answer.
Common Core Math Standard
2.MD.1-4
- Measure the length of an object by selecting and using appropriate tools such as rulers, yardsticks, meter sticks, and measuring tapes.
- Measure the length of an object twice, using length units of different lengths for the two measurements; describe how the two measurements relate to the size of the unit chosen.
- Estimate lengths using units of inches, feet, centimeters, and meters.
- Measure to determine how much longer one object is than another, expressing the length difference in terms of a standard length unit.
Grade 3
There is no specific Grade 2 measurement standard it would align to. Therefore, have them review Grade 2’s math standards. Also, use Grade 3-5 Engineering Design Standards.
Grade 4
Grade 4 is similar to earlier grades, but expect them to use greater precision when measuring.
Common Core Math Standard
4.MD.2 Use the four operations to solve word problems involving distances, intervals of time, liquid volumes, masses of objects, and money, including problems involving simple fractions or decimals, and problems that require expressing measurements given in a larger unit in terms of a smaller unit. Represent measurement quantities using diagrams such as number line diagrams that feature a measurement scale.
Science
For all students from preschool to grade four discuss the difference between motion and force. Discuss how motion changes an object’s position, and a force is a push or pull that changes the movement of an object. Discuss the motion of Pigeon as he rides the roller coaster. Then discuss what forces cause him to move up and down such as a chain that pulls him up the hill or gravity that pushes him down.
This activity aligns perfectly with Ohio’s Science Learning Standard’s Classroom Examples at the second grade level. You could even talk about how some roller coasters use magnets. Ohio’s standards complement the NGSS standards.
Share their Findings
Have students present their roller coaster to the class or to your family if you are homeschooling. Let them describe Pigeon’s ride using descripting adjectives. Discuss how you think Pigeon would feel at each point on the coaster. Don’t forget to ask students how they would improve their design in the future.
The inside cover page has Pigeon in a roller coaster car. (I can’t show you because of copyright issues). You could even copy that page and cut them out and put them on popsicle sticks, so Pigeon can ride the coaster. Students can use different Pigeon expressions for different parts of their coaster. (You may want to limit them to 3 Pigeon expressions for expedience.)
Conclusion
This is the perfect STEM lesson for your preschool or elementary classroom or homeschooling setting. After all most kids love The Pigeon, roller coasters, and marshmallows so it’s highly engaging. It promotes mathematical reasoning and the math practice standards in addition to grade-level science and ELA concepts. I hope your kids had as much fun as mine did!
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If you like this STEM activity, check out some of my other K-2 math and STEM activities:
- Winnie the Pooh Day: Incorporating Literacy with STEM
- All I Want for Christmas is a Good STEM Lesson | The 12 Sleighs of Christmas
- Use Knuffle Bunny and Corduroy to Incorporate Literacy into your STEM Lesson
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Standards
ELA Common Core Standards
Kindergarten
- RL.K.3 With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story.
- RL.K. 9 With prompting and support, compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in familiar stories.
First Grade
- RL.1.3 Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.
- RL.1.9 Compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in stories.
Second Grade
- RL.2.3 Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.
- RL.2.9 Compare and contrast two or more versions of the same story (e.g., Cinderella stories) by different authors or from different cultures.
Third Grade
- RL.3.3 Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.
- RL.3.9 Compare and contrast the themes, settings, and plots of stories written by the same author about the same or similar characters (e.g., in books from a series).
Fourth Grade
- RL.4.9 Compare and contrast the treatment of similar themes and topics (e.g., opposition of good and evil) and patterns of events (e.g., the quest) in stories, myths, and traditional literature from different cultures.
Math Common Core Standards
Kindergarten
K.MD.2. Directly compare two objects with a measurable attribute in common to see which object has “more of” or “less of” the attribute, and describe the difference. For example, directly compare the heights of two children, and describe one child as taller/shorter.
First Grade
1.MD.2 Express the length of an object as a whole number of length units, by laying multiple copies of a shorter object (the length unit) end to end; understand that the length measurement of an object is the number of same-size length units that span it with no gaps or overlaps. Limit to contexts where the object being measured is spanned by a whole number of length units with no gaps or overlaps.
Second Grade
2.MD.1-4
- Measure the length of an object by selecting and using appropriate tools such as rulers, yardsticks, meter sticks, and measuring tapes.
- Measure the length of an object twice, using length units of different lengths for the two measurements; describe how the two measurements relate to the size of the unit chosen.
- Estimate lengths using units of inches, feet, centimeters, and meters.
- Measure to determine how much longer one object is than another, expressing the length difference in terms of a standard length unit.
Fourth Grade
4.MD.2 Use the four operations to solve word problems involving distances, intervals of time, liquid volumes, masses of objects, and money, including problems involving simple fractions or decimals, and problems that require expressing measurements given in a larger unit in terms of a smaller unit. Represent measurement quantities using diagrams such as number line diagrams that feature a measurement scale.
NGSS Engineering Design Standards
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