We’re going to build monster roller coasters in your house using just a couple of simple materials. You might have heard how energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can be transferred or transformed (if you haven’t that’s okay – you’ll pick it up while doing this activity).
This lab is an excellent opportunity for kids to practice their resilience, because we guarantee this experiment will not work the first several times they try it. While you can certainly help the kids out, it’s important that you help them figure it out on their own. You can do this by asking questions instead of rushing in to solve their problems. For instance, when the marble flies off the track, you can step back and say:
“ Hmm… did the marble go to fast or too slow?”
“Where did it fly off?”
“Wow – I’ll bet you didn’t expect that to happen. Now what are you going to try?”
Become their biggest fan by cheering them on, encouraging them to make mistakes, and try something new (even if they aren’t sure if it will work out).
