Early Science  /  Ramps  /  Hands-On  /  Activity

Textured Blocks

 

Ramps
Hands-On

Children send blocks wrapped with different textures down cardboard ramps and compare how fast they slide.

Four blocks, each covered in a different textured material, sit on a table. A student examines a block covered in felt. A teacher and another student look on.

Feel the blocks and describe their texture.

Is this block fuzzy or slippery?

 

Materials

  • Cardboard blocks or other objects to prop up the ramp
  • Pieces of textured materials large enough to wrap around a block, such as bubble wrap, rough sandpaper, art foam, felt, nonslip rug pad or shelf liner, aluminum foil, plastic wrap
  • Ruler to serve as a “starting gate”
  • Set of 5 identical wooden blocks
  • Tape (masking or duct tape)
  • Wide cardboard ramp sheet

Preparation

  1. Leave one block bare. Cut square pieces of the textured materials to cover all sides of the remaining 4 blocks.
  2. Try out the activity to determine how steep a ramp you want to construct. It should be steep enough so that all, or almost all, blocks slide—at least a little bit.
 

Directions: Lesson 8

Guided Small Group
  1. Have children touch and describe the texture of the blocks. Possible discussion ideas:
    • Which block feels smoothest? Which feels the fuzziest? Bumpiest? Roughest?
    • Which block do you predict will slide the fastest? Why do you think that?
    • Which block do you predict will slide the slowest? Why do you think that?
  2. Have children choose two different-textured blocks (wrapped and/or bare) to send down the ramp, side by side, to discover which block slides faster. You may want to help a volunteer position the two blocks behind a ruler “starting gate” at the top of the ramp. Have children watch the blocks move down the ramp to see which block slides faster. Use discussion ideas such as:
    • Why do you think this block slid (faster, slower) down the ramp?
    • Which block created (more, less) friction as it slid down the ramp?
  3. Repeat using different pairs of blocks. Encourage children to describe the texture of each block. Possible discussion ideas:
    • How does this block feel? Slippery? Fuzzy? Rough?
    • Which block do you predict will slide faster down the ramp? Why do you think so?
    • What did you observe? Which block moved faster down the ramp? Was it the block you predicted?
Length of Play

5 min.

Group Size
In the Schedule
 
Vocabulary
  • describe
  • fast
  • friction
  • fuzzy
  • predict
  • ramp
  • rough
  • slide
  • slippery
  • slow
  • smooth
  • texture
 
Learning Goals
Science
  • Observe and describe how friction will slow objects that are moving.
  • Observe and describe how the surface texture of an object affects how fast/slow it moves.
  • Compare and contrast how the surface texture of an object affects how fast/slow it moves.
  • Predict how the surface texture of an object will affect how fast/slow it moves.