Roller Coasters: Theory, Design, and Properties

Project Guidelines

We have discussed in class several ideas for projects. You may work alone or with one to two partners (for total group size of one to three students). The first step of your project is to hand in a proposal, due at the start of class on Friday, May 6.

The Project Proposal

Your proposal is a summary of your idea for a project, with enough background information to show that you have begun thinking about the project, its scope, and its feasibility. The summary itself should be approximately two pages, double spaced. Follow this with a bibliography of at least three sources you have already begun to consult while creating your summary. While internet sources are permitted, beware! There are both reputable and disreputable sources online. If in doubt, consult with me before the proposal due date. Your proposal should show me that you have a reasonable and interesting plan for a project. If I think it is an inappropriate plan, I may ask you to change your project entirely, or if possible, I will offer suggestions for improvement.

Upcoming Project Requirements

This is an outline of what is to come, in case future requirements affect your choice of project. Note: I refer to groups below, but this may mean individuals in the case of some projects.

• Meeting during third week: each group will meet with me during the third week of Short Term classes, on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, to discuss progress and plans for the in-class summary.
• End-of-third-week summary: each group will present to the class on Friday, May 13. This will be approximately a 10-minute summary in which you outline your project idea, your progress so far, and your plans for the remainder of the project.
• Meeting during fifth week: during the first half of the last week of Short Term, each group will meet with me again to discuss updates, results from our amusement park trip, and any other last questions before projects are due.
• The Final Project Writeup: On Thursday, May 26, each group will hand in a complete and final written version of the project. This final version should consist of roughly 5-10 typed pages, though more may be allowed, especially for group work or for projects involving many diagrams. The format for this writeup may vary significantly among groups, depending on the types of project chosen. Discussion of this format can be part of our third and fifth week meetings.
• The Final Presentation – A Poster Session: During our designated class period on Thursday, May 26, we will host a poster presentation of projects, open to the public. Each group will bring a large poster which shows project highlights. Other props are welcome, in addition to or perhaps instead of a poster, when appropriate.