Science at the Waterpark!

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This activity (on page 2 of the PDF under SciGirls Activity: Water Slides) is a full inquiry investigation into speed and motion and takes place at a water park. Groups of learners will compare two water slides by measuring each ride’s length and duration to calculate the speed. They will also attempt to trace a clean line through a maze while riding down the slides to measure which is the wildest. Relates to linked video, DragonflyTV: Waterslides.

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
10 to 30 minutes
Learning Time:
2 to 4 hours
Estimated Materials Cost:
$5 - $10 per group of students
Age Range:
Ages 8 - 14
Resource Types:
Activity, Experiment/Lab Activity, Field Trip
Language:
English

Materials List (per group of students)

  • 3 plastic page protectors, 8 x 11 size
  • 1 wax pencil or waterproof marker that writes on the plastic page protector
  • 1 acrylic clipboard
  • 3 heavy cardstock papers with a large spiral, to make a “maze-ometer”
  • clear packing tape
  • 1 stopwatch
  • a water slide!

Keywords

Subjects

  • Engineering and Technology
    • Engineering
  • Life Sciences
    • Human Senses and Perception
      • Perception
  • Mathematics
    • Data Analysis and Probability
      • Data Analysis
      • Data Collection
      • Data Representation
    • Measurement
      • Rate
    • Representation
  • Physical Sciences
    • Motion and Forces
      • Momentum and Velocity
      • Acceleration
  • The Nature of Science
    • The Scientific Process
      • About Inquiry
      • Asking Questions
      • Conducting Investigations
      • Gathering Data
      • Formulating Explanations
      • Communicating Results

Informal Categories

  • Outdoor Activity
  • Physical Activity

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • read
  • be mobile
  • touch

Learning styles supported:

  • Involves teamwork and communication skills
  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Culture, ethnicity, and gender

  • Girls

    • Explicity developed for this group
    • Highlights STEM opportunities for this group
    • Identifies role models or mentors in STEM fields from this group
    • Uses inclusive images of people from this group

Other

Components that are part of this resource:

This resource is part of:

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

Source Collection

  • DragonflyTV

Rights:

  • All rights reserved, Twin Cities Public Television, Inc., 2005

Funding Source:

  • National Science Foundation, 436260