You're on track to get doubled donations (and unlock a reward for the colleague who referred you). Keep up the great work!
Take credit for your charitable giving! Check out your tax receipts
To use your $50 gift card credits, find a project to fund and we'll automatically apply your credits at checkout. Find a classroom project
Skip to main content

Help teachers & students in your hometown this season!
Use code HOME at checkout and your donation will be matched up to $100.

Your school email address was successfully verified.

Mr. Cooper from Riverside CA is requesting supplies through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

Paper Roller Coasters - A STEM Activity

My students need cardstock and 30 rolls of tape to complete this project.

  • $182 goal

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

Celebrate Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.

My Students

Everybody loves roller coasters, or at least watching them, even if it is a marble rolling down a ramp. Imagine the sense of accomplishment that comes with building your own roller coaster.

My school is located in low income area.

Most of my students have English as a second language. Many of them come come from broken homes and extreme poverty. Regardless of the life challenges facing my students, they continuously strive to rise above their surroundings. The staff at my school is dedicated to reaching these kids any way we can.

My Project

All year I lead my students in learning what they need to know for state testing. After testing we have almost an entire month to fill. This is when I introduce them to paper roller coasters. With this project students design and build a roller coaster that will allow a marble to go from beginning to end. They get to utilize many of the Physics concepts they have learned in class. Working in groups they must meet certain check points as they progress in building their roller coaster. Even though the pieces, straight, loops, and curves are cut from templates, they must design at least one trick maneuver for their marble. They must also calculate the average speed of their marble from start to finish. This activity gives students the opportunity to use Science, Math, and Engineering to build a complex paper roller coaster. I ordEr to complete t his project, my students need card stock paper and 30 rolls of tape.

What I find the most encouraging about this project is the effect it has on students.

I opened our lab after school one day during this project and had so many students working on them that they were even on the floor. It was amazing. Seeing a low achieving student (academically) discover that they have a talent for seeing how to make things work and watching the pride they have in saying "I made this part so it would work properly"--that is why this is important.

Mr. Cooper
Grades 6-8

Boost your odds

Add a profile photo in addition to your classroom photo. If you add a photo, it'll show up right here on your project page.

You are more likely to receive funding if you put a face to your name.

Upload a photo

Top rated for efficiency and transparency.

You donate directly to the teacher or project you care about and see where every dollar you give goes.

Expand the "Where your donation goes" section below to see exactly what Mr. Cooper is requesting.

See our finances

TEACHERS, FEELING INSPIRED?

You can start a project with the same resources being requested here!

Where Your Donation Goes

Materials Cost Quantity Total
CARDSTOCK 8.5X11 LUNAR BLUE 65# ASTROBRIGHT - PACK OF 100 • School Specialty Inc. $7.19 2 $14.38
PAPER 8.5 X 11 BRIGHT WHITE 65# CARD/COVER STOCK PACK OF 250 • School Specialty Inc. $15.83 2 $31.66
CARDSTOCK 8.5X11 ASST #2- 5-COLORS ASTROBRIGHT - PACK OF 250 • School Specialty Inc. $17.99 1 $17.99
TAPE HIGHLAND 5910 1IN CORE 3/4IN X 36YD • School Specialty Inc. $1.30 30 $39.00

Materials cost

$103.03

Vendor shipping charges

$10.30

Sales tax

$9.43

3rd party payment processing fee

$1.55

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$154.31

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$27.23

Total project goal

$181.54

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

$181.54

9 Donors

-$179.78

Donations toward project cost

-$154.31

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$25.47

Excluded support for DonorsChoose

-$1.76

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

$0.00

Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.

View complete list Show less

Support a teacher
near you!

Explore a map with requests from teachers across the country.

View map of requests

Project Activity

{"pmaHash":"","schoolCity":"Riverside","showProjectRecommendations":true,"teachersOnPage":[1510467],"isTeacherViewingTheirOwnProject":false,"hideTeacherDetails":false,"schoolState":"CA","teacherPossessivePronoun":"his","PMsManager":null,"schoolGradeType":{"id":3,"name":"Middle School"},"TeacherPMForms":{},"proposalId":832485,"proposalMessageFormModel":null,"numActiveProjects":0,"completingDonationAmount":0,"teacherHasClassroomPhoto":true,"proposalURL":"https://www.donorschoose.org/project/paper-roller-coasters-a-stem-activity/832485/","verifyShowPhotos":"","eligibleToBeCopied":false,"mayHaveReplacements":false,"numStudents":170,"teacherScreenName":"Mr. Cooper","isEquityFocus":true,"authorIds":{"1510467":{"owner":"Mr. Cooper","donationSalutations":{}}},"displayedPercentFunded":1.0,"proposalsOnPage":[832485],"proposalHash":"1597357464","isApplePayMobileOnly":true,"progressBarPercentage":100.00,"pmaId":"","teacherProfilePhotoURL":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/136/teacher-placeholder-4_136.png","teacherHasProfilePhoto":false,"currentWorkflowStatusCode":21,"teacherChallengeId":245147,"photosPublished":true,"queryString":"","DonorPMForm":null,"isApplePayEnabled":true,"fundedByTarget":false,"activeProject":null,"donorIdsForImpactPhotoCheck":["MTYyMDE5Mg==","MTI2ODg3MQ==","MTU3NzkyOQ==","NDQ3OTc=","MTYyMzUzNQ==","MTU0NzE5Mw==","MTU2Nzk1Mg==","MTA3MDE3Mw==","MTYyMzgxNg=="],"teacherId":1510467,"schoolCounty":"Riverside","fullyFunded":true,"isStudentLed":false,"isExpired":true,"schoolStateObj":{"code":"CA","name":"California"}}