Give students a fast, hands-on motion investigation: set up a simple marble ramp, change only the ramp height, and measure how height affects average speed.

With clear test rules and simple materials, students plan a fair test, collect multiple times for each height, calculate average speed, and create a comparison graph of Average Speed vs Ramp Height.

The teacher guide explains why higher ramps provide more stored energy (gravitational potential) that turns into motion (kinetic), so you can teach the science behind the results.

What’s Included

• Teacher Guide: setup, safety, pacing, test rules, and background science (GPE → KE, slope, friction).
• Student Packet: clear, step-by-step setup/timing instructions and blank data tables for 5 runs per height across 5 heights.
• Summary & Graphing Pages: average-by-height table and graph template (Average Speed (m/s) vs Ramp Height (cm)) with printable graph paper.
• Calculation Aids: ramp-length entry, v = d ÷ t boxes, and unit reminders (m, s, m/s).
• Analysis & Model Answers: seven prompts with sample trends, fair-test controls, and reasoning.
• Rubric: concise rubric to assess your students if desired.

Why Teachers Love It

• Truly print-and-go with explicit rules for a fair test
• Real lab skills: variables & controls, repeated trials, averaging, graphing, and CER
• Runs in a single period with low-cost, common materials
• Easy to differentiate: test fewer/more heights, or swap in photo-gate/slow-mo timing

Best For

Science or STEM; forces & motion, energy, scientific method, data & graphing, stations, and enrichment.

Materials Needed

Marble (or another small round object), smooth ramp/track (foam channel, meter-stick groove, or small board), stack of books/blocks (to vary height), ruler (cm), meter stick/tape (path length), stopwatch/timer, tape, sticky notes.

Estimated Timing

1 class period for five heights × repeat runs and graph; add 15–20 minutes if you want slow-motion timing, angle measurement, or a class share-out. Easily stretchable to Day 2 especially if you want to add additional trials.

➡️ You can get this STEM as well as all my other ones in this series inside my STEM Investigations Growing Bundle. As more labs are added, the price will increase. CLICK HERE to have a look

I also have the following STEM Labs in My Store:

• Blow Cup Challenge STEM Lab
• Paper Table STEM Lab
• Pendulum STEM Lab
• Parachute STEM Lab
• Catapult STEM Lab
• Paper Airplane - Angle of Attack STEM Lab
• Bottle Flip STEM Lab
• Paper Helicopter STEM Lab
• Yeast Balloon STEM Lab
• Balloon Lift Design STEM Lab
• Candy Combustion Calorimetry STEM
• Marble Ramp: Height vs Average Speed STEM Lab
• Clean Water Filtration STEM Lab
• Beetle Genetics STEM Lab
• Adaptations by Design - Extreme Environments STEM Lab

NGSS alignment

• MS-PS2 Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions (gravity, drag, balanced/unbalanced forces)
• MS-ETS1 Engineering Design (defining problems, testing solutions, optimizing designs)
• Science & Engineering Practices: Planning and Carrying Out Investigations;
• Analyzing and Interpreting Data; Using Mathematics and Computational
• Thinking; Engaging in Argument from Evidence
• Crosscutting Concepts: Cause and Effect; Structure and Function