California's Great America

• Teachers are provided with a complimentary CD-ROM along with their advance purchased tickets.
• The teacher-designated CD-ROM contains teacher guidelines, along with experiments for upper elementary, middle, and high school students. The CD-ROM offers teachers a choice of lessons from beginner to advanced.
• Teachers will assign students the activities of their choice based on subject matter and level of difficulty. Some activities require the student to ride while others can be completed based on observation alone.
• On the day of the event, teachers simply provide their students with photocopies of the activities they need to complete.

For sample curriculum visit www.physicsday.org. Sponsored by the CGA Physics/Science/Math Teacher Steering Committee.

Who should attend?
Although most of the materials have been developed for middle and high school students, an elementary curriculum is included on the Physics/Science/Math CD-ROM or the www.physicsday.org website, along with great learning opportunities in general science for all ages.

How do we register and what is the cost?
Complete and mail the ticket order form, along with payment, as soon as possible in order to receive your complimentary CD-ROM prior to the event. Register by April 9, 2010, for maximum savings!

The ticket prices are (Before April 9, 2010)

• $23.00 per person
• $30.50 for admission+ picnic
  

Admission only tickets are now available online. This is the online ticketing site.

What if we can’t come on May 7, 14 or 21? Alternate dates for Physics/Science/Math at California’s Great America

• You can still bring your class to the Park on any other public operating day. The admission price on these alternate days is $30.00
  
• The Park is open to the general public, but your students will still be able to perform experiments and work on activities using the Park as a laboratory. (Special Physics, Science, and Math Day hours, exhibits, spot measurement signs, presentations, picnic, teachers lounge, contests and other special events are not applicable on these dates.)

• Pre-paid admission + meal is only $30.50 (By April 9, 2010)
• Lunch includes all-you-can-eat jumbo size hot dogs, potato chips, western style chili beans, soft drinks and ice cream novelties
  
• Pass holders and Complimentary tickets can purchase the all-you-can-eat picnic in advance for $10.00. The picnic is $11.00 on the day of the event.
  If you choose to have students bring bag lunches, picnic tables are located outside the main gate for your use. We suggest you leave your lunches in your bus/vehicle, then meet and exit as a group to have lunch.

• Park operating hours on Physics, Science and Math Days are 9:00am-5:00pm.
• California’s Great America’s parking lot opens at 8:30am. Parking is FREE for buses, all other vehicles will be required to pay parking fees.
• California’s Great America will be open rain or shine. Most rides operate in the rain, so students can still do experiments, plus participate in the special presentations. Students should dress appropriately for the weather.

On May 7, 2010, selected rides inside Planet Snoopy will be open for our elementary guests to conduct experiments.
(In the event of unforeseen circumstances, some rides may be closed and you should have alternate activities selected for your students.)

Teachers Lounge Hours
Enjoy the teachers lounge from 9:00am-5:00pm in the Consulate at California’s Great America. You are able to meet members of the California's Great America Teacher Steering Committee while enjoing coffee and snacks.

Student Contests
10th Annual Roller Coaster Building Contest
Encourage your students to learn more about “real world” physics by entering the Roller Coaster Building Contest.
Roller Coasters are judged on: technical merit, theme and creativity, and most exciting to ride.

12th Annual Egg Drop Contest
Groups attempt to win the contract from NASA for landing a rover vehicle safely on Mars. To win you must demonstrate the effectiveness of your design. The winning group will have the design that is successful in getting the vehicle safely on the ground in the proper orientation in the most economical manner.

New for 2010
1st Annual Trebuchet Contest
Each team will construct a trebuchet that can launch a mini marshmallow. All energy/force given to the projectile must come from the trebuchet and not from the team members once the trebuchet is loaded. The energy source must be gravitational with no elastic energy used to propel the marshmallow. The team will be given three chances to launch their marshmallow the farthest. Their best score out of the three will be used to determine the winning trebuchets.

1st Annual Cardboard Boat Race
We are encouraging schools to bring fearless students to build a boat out of cardboard in a short amount of time to see who can make it the farthest and the fastest! Twenty teams consisting of 4 members may sign up the day of the event. Please be aware that each team must pay a $20.00 Materials Fee to participate in this event.

1st Annual Inertia Relay
Gather a team of 4 students to test your understanding and application of Newton’s 1st Law of Motion while racing with tubs of water against the clock. Only 20 teams of 4 will be allowed to participate each day.

For details and rules visit www.physicsday.org for more information.

Purchase admission only tickets online.