4DFrame Activity Tips:
10. Inclined planes
Build any shapes that you think will slide or roll easily down an inclined plane.
KomTek in Järfalla is a Swedish science- and technology-oriented activity centre
that regularly uses 4DFrame materials in its programs both in-house and with local
schools. Anna Nytomt Kristensson is one of their staff who works with this and she
shared this set of activity tips KomTek developed (thank you, Anna!) for using this
educational teaching tool.
10. Inclined planes
Build any shapes that you think will slide or roll easily down an inclined plane.
Main concepts 1-3 physics:
- Gravity and friction that can be observed at play and movement, such as slides
and swings.
- Balance, center of gravity and equilibrium that can be observed in play and movement,
such as during a balancing act and on seesaws.
Main concepts 1-3 technology:
- Some common objects where simple mechanisms, such as levers and links, are used
to achieve a particular function, such as objects in playgrounds and household goods
of all varieties.
Main concepts 4-6 physics:
- Forces and motions in everyday situations, and how they are perceived and can be
described, for example when riding a bicycle.
- Measurements and measuring instruments, such as watches, tape measures and scales,
and how they are used in research.
Preparation:
- Set up an inclined plane, for example a sheet of plywood, or heavy cardboard that
is attached to a table/stool or something similar. Test the slope so that it will
not be too steep.
Inclined planes:
- Assign students the task to build a structure that rolls, or slides, as quickly
as possible down an inclined plane.
- Give students a time limit for how long it should take for their structure to slide
down the inclined plane.
- Note the time, study each other's constructions, modify them as needed, and time
them again.
Follow-up:
- Work further with ”playground physics”, and read (in Swedish) http://physics.gu.se/lekplats/
- Discuss forces and friction.
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