Hold on tight! This year’s third graders took engineering to new heights (and drops!) in the Roller Coaster Design Lab. Over several action-packed sessions, students explored what makes roller coasters thrilling, safe, and scientifically sound, all while following the BC Design Process: think, plan, do, and review.

Students began by thinking like engineers, investigating the forces behind every successful coaster, including gravity, friction, and the transfer between potential and kinetic energy. With this scientific foundation, they moved into the planning stage, brainstorming ideas and sketching designs that could carry a marble through twists, turns, and dramatic descents.

Next came the doing. The Design Lab was busy as teams constructed and tested their roller coaster prototypes using a wide variety of materials. Through repeated trials, students observed what worked, identified challenges, and refined their designs to improve speed, stability, and flow.

Finally, during the review phase, teams shared their completed coasters with classmates, reflecting on their design choices and the problem-solving strategies they used along the way. The experience built not only engineering skills, but also collaboration, resilience, and creative confidence, proving that learning is all about the ride.

View the Roller Coaster Photo Gallery Here