| Lesson
details
The lesson was divided into Science and ICT elements.
The children were required to test different surfaces for friction by
sliding a toy brick down a ramp covered with various materials. We measured
how steep the ramp had to be before the brick started to move on each
surface.
The sequence of activities was to:
| |
From early discussion
it became clear that the children's understanding was restricted.
We focussed discussion on how increasing the steepness of the ramp
increased the force on the brick.
Extra teaching was needed to introduce the concept of friction being
a 'slowing force' that helped to hold the brick in place.
Children then conducted the experiment by placing a toy brick on a
ramp covered with different surfaces. The ramp was slowly raised to
become steeper. For each surface, the height the ramp reached before
the brick began to move was recorded. |
The children found it hard to relate what they had found to the concept
of friction. Extra teaching was needed to reinforce the idea that increasing
the ramp's steepness increased the force on the brick and that friction
was holding the brick in place.
It was again necessary to provide additional support by discussing questions
like 'Which surface did the brick find it most difficult to move down? Why?'
The children's answers tended to involve the vocabulary 'grip' and 'stick'
which they were obviously able to relate to and understand. |
