Frequently Asked Questions

Teachers Ask About Physics Day

Over the years, we have heard it all from teachers eager to participate in USU Physics Day at Lagoon and to enhance their students learning experience. Here are some of those questions and our best answers to them.

Also refer to the annual Teacher Letter for current information on pricing, contests, and other things that change from year to year.




What time do things happen on Physics Day?

The parking entrance to Lagoon opens at about 8:30. The Physics Day Registration table outside the Main Gate will be open at 8:45. The main entrance gates at Lagoon and Physics Day registration in the Davis Pavilion open at about 9:15. The rides will be open from 9:30 to 5:00. Physics Day events are scheduled from 10:30 to 3:30. Here is the current Schedule of Events.

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Who is eligible to attend?

Any high school or middle school student in a physics, physical science, or technology class can attend.

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How do I register my class for Physics Day at Lagoon?

Each school must complete a School Registration Form online by May 1. Teachers must also check in at the Registration Desk at the Main Gate on Physics Day. To submit the Online School Registration Form, complete the information and select the "Submit" button. We will have a completed pre-registration form waiting at the registration desk outside the Main Gate of Lagoon on Physics Day. Teachers stopping by the registration desk at the Main Gate to verify their pre-registration form will receive a complimentary Ride Passport for the day of the event, a free lunch pass, and a coupon redeemable for a FREE PHYSICS DAY T-SHIRT at the prize desk in Davis Pavilion.

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How much does it cost?

Teachers receive a complementary pass for free entry and a complementary lunch. Tickets can be picked up at the registration table outside of Lagoon's Front Entrance Gates on the day of the event. The cost to the students will be a reduced rate of $24.00 ($22.56 if paid with a school issued check) from the regular price of $39.95 + tax. This fee provides admission to Lagoon with unlimited access to Lagoon Rides (Skycoaster, Top Eliminator, Catapult and Double Thunder Raceway are not included with a Ride Passport). Lagoon A Beach Waterpark will not be open on that day.

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How do we pay for physics day?

Student tickets may be purchased individually or in groups at the Main Gate; those schools paying by check should make it payable to Lagoon.

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What activities are going on at Physics Day?

We have planned several competitions for Physics Day. Complete contest rules are available online. Each student must register at Davis Pavilion to participate in these contests.
There is a Physics Demonstration Design Competition which stresses innovative design and the explanation of the physics principles and a Ride Design Contest in which students design and model futuristic rides based on key physics principles. Students can measure the accelerations they experience at Lagoon in the GForces Contest. We are also sponsoring a Physics Day Logo Design Contest. The Sky Drop Contest is back for another year, this time with separate times for HS and MS competitions to shorten the time to impact! Finally, there is an old favorite, the Physics Bowl. The Physics Bowl contest is limited to high school students. This year the top eight teams will all receive free passes to Lagoon! Separate middle school and high school categories are planned for the other contests.
All students are encouraged to participate in as many contests as possible; however, none of the contests are mandatory. Each student must register to participate in these contests. To speed registration print out the contest forms ahead of time and fill them out before arriving at Lagoon on Physics Day.

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How do my students register for a contest or activity?

Each student must register in the Davis Pavilion for each contest they participate in.

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What is the Student Workbook Activity and how can my students participate?

A primary activity at Physics Day is the Student Laboratory Workbook which is designed to encourage participation from all the students attending. USU has developed this year's Student Laboratory Workbook with a mixture of very simple and more challenging questions on a number of the rides at Lagoon. Separate workbooks for high school and middle school students are available on the Web. This year teachers can custom design their own student workbooks by selecting from dozens of activities, allowing teachers to tailor their students' activities to their own curriculum needs. Teachers are responsible for providing copies of the Workbook to the students. USU will collect the Workbooks and return them to the teachers (with solutions) at the end of Physics Day. A number of prizes (including day passes and season passes to Lagoon) will be awarded on a random basis to students who turn in their workbooks. No student registration is required for the Student Laboratory Workbooks. We request that teachers stop by in the morning to let us know you will have students turning in Workbooks and at the end of the day to pick up the Workbooks and solutions.

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Do students have to participate in contests?

No. All students are encouraged to participate in as many contests as possible; however, none of the contests are mandatory.

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Are there any contests for teachers?

Yes. The USU Physics Department and College of Science sponsor a Curriculum Development Contest open to all high school and middle school teachers at Physics Day. Refer to the Curriculum Manual for some excellent examples of previous winners. Prizes will be awarded to all entries.

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Will Lagoon-A-Beach be open?

Lagoon-a-Beach water park will not be open on Physics Day.

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How many students will be there?

Each year there are more than 6,000 students who attend Physics Day. An estimated 65,000 students and teachers have attended USU Physics Day at Lagoon over the last 16 years!

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How can I make the best use of activities at Physics Day in my curriculum?

An extensive set of curriculum materials has been developed for you to use in your classroom during the school year in conjunction with Physics Day activities. You are encouraged to use the activities at Lagoon as the basis of classroom discussions and lessons on various aspects of physics. The contests provide an excellent motivation for lessons in rotational mechanics and centripetal force, in conservation of energy, in design of measurement devices, and in data collection and error analysis techniques, just to name a few. An on-line edition of our Amusement Park Physics Curriculum Manual is now available. The manual includes: (1) activities to relate classroom activities to Physics Day, (2) exercises to do at Physics Day, and (3) a set of more detailed workbook activities to follow up on lessons learned at Physics Day. The USU Physics Department also has a limited number of VHS tapes containing several short films on related topics that are available to circulate to your classroom.

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What kinds of prizes are there?

The prizes for last year's contest winners were worth an estimated $155,000; this year promises to be even better. For instance, each member of the winning team in the Physics Bowl competition will receive a full tuition scholarship to USU! All members of the top three teams in all contests will receive free passes to Lagoon and a T-shirt with last year's Logo Design Contest winner on it. There will be other substantial prizes for individuals and their schools. Refer to the annual Physics Day Summaries under the General Information Section for lists of specific prizes.

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For additional informormation, or questions contact:

JR Dennison
(435) 797-2936
JR.Dennison@usu.edu

Judy Larsen
(435) 797-2857
judyl@usu.edu

  • Updated 5/28/08 - Utah State University Physics Department
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