1

Watch the activity overview video

This video shows staff facilitating the activity featured in the skill video.
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Design a Roller Coaster Activity Overview

This is a video of a real afterschool program. These videos serve as discussion starters around a particular skill and are not examples of perfect practice.
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Download the Design a Roller Coaster Activity
2

As you watch the skill video below, think about these questions:

What does the facilitator do to ensure that all youth have some prior knowledge before beginning the design challenge? 

How does the facilitator learn about youth's prior knowledge and experiences wtih roller coasters? 

What are some other ways you could introduce a roller coaster design challenge? 
 

3

Watch the skill video

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29 Designing a Roller Coaster

This is a video of a real afterschool program. These videos serve as discussion starters around a particular skill and are not examples of perfect practice.
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4

Now that you've watched the video, reflect on what you saw and post your responses.

What can make connecting to prior knowledge and experiences more difficult when doing a design challenge activity?
LaVonne McCullough's picture
LaVonne McCullough
Tue, 03/15/2016 - 16:48
unclear directions - activity is not age appropriate
Leronda Murphy's picture
Leronda Murphy
Thu, 11/03/2016 - 10:11
Maybe if the children weren't familiar with roller-coasters
Why is it important to go over instructions when doing a design challenge?  How can that influence youth engagement?
lupita venegas's picture
lupita venegas
Mon, 11/09/2015 - 18:58
When doing a design challenge you need to be very clear on how to use the materials and the idea of the project is. If you don't understand how to do the project or the idea behind it it will be difficult to explain to the students. Make sure as an instructor you go over your plans 1 day in advance and experiment it yourself. Understanding how to do the experiment students will better understand and if you encourage them to try it out even better.
LaVonne McCullough's picture
LaVonne McCullough
Tue, 03/15/2016 - 16:49
Checking for understanding is imperative to the youths success, when the youth are able to grasp the concept they are free to create.
LaVonne McCullough's picture
LaVonne McCullough
Tue, 03/15/2016 - 16:51
Checking for understanding is imperative to the youths success, when the youth are able to grasp the concept they are free to create.
Leronda Murphy's picture
Leronda Murphy
Thu, 11/03/2016 - 10:18
So the children know what materials they have to work with and how they might manipulate the materials. It's allowing them to problem solve with their group of peers / others about what works or not.