Early Science  /  Ramps  /  Week 3: Lesson 7  /  Activity

Ramp Rolling Revisited

 

Ramps
Videos

The class observes how the children in this video build ramps from everyday objects and invent a bowling game.

A teacher holds up an iPad to show a class of students a video. Students and a teacher watch, as a girl rolls a giant marble down a wooden ramp made from cove molding. Another student points to an obstacle that has been set up, at the bottom of the ramp, made from a paper tube with a plastic cup sitting on top of it.

In the video, the girls set up a ramp and obstacles for a bowling game.

Make your own bowling game using a ramp and an obstacle.

 

Materials


  • Blocks to prop up one end of the ramp
  • Ramp Rolling video on an iPad
  • Large marble or a ball (to roll down the ramp)
  • Length of cove molding (or a paper towel tube, cut lengthwise, or a cardboard flat)
  • Objects to use as obstacles: for example, a cardboard tube, plastic cup, ball, toy car, piece of fabric
  • Projector (if available)

Preparation

  1. If using a projector, set it up to display the iPad.
 

Directions: Lesson 7


Circle Time: Introduction
  1. Set a viewing focus for children. Have them rewatch the Ramp Rolling video first watched during the Ramp Rolling activity.
  2. This viewing, children will watch for tips on how to set up a bowling game and for what happens to the obstacles when the ball hits them. Then they will use similar props to create a bowling game of their own. Use these discussion ideas as children rewatch the video:
    • In this video, two girls set up obstacles to knock down for their bowling game.
    • Point out that the “obstacles” are the things that a rolling ball can knock down in our bowling game.
    • Have children raise their hand when they see the girls set up some obstacles for a bowling game. Note that this happens very close to the end of the video.
  3. Pause the video when children raise their hands, and continue with discussion ideas such as:
    • What do you predict will happen to the ball when it rolls down the ramp and hits one of these obstacles?
    • What do you think will happen to the paper towel tube? To the cup?
    • What do you think will happen to the ball inside the cup?
  4. Continue the video and have children observe what happens. You may want to replay the segment to confirm what happens to the ball and to the obstacles.
  5. Have children build a ramp with a piece of cove molding (or a paper towel tube or cardboard ramp).
  6. Let children construct an obstacle that includes several items, and have them place it directly in front of the ramp.
    • Encourage children to predict what will happen to the different parts of the obstacle when it is hit by the rolling marble.
  7. Roll a ball or large marble down the ramp so that it hits the obstacle. Observe and discuss what happens to the marble when it hits the obstacle and what happens to the different parts of the obstacle.

Length of Play

10 min.

Group Size
In the Schedule

 
Vocabulary

  • observe
  • obstacle
  • predict
  • ramp
 
Learning Goals

Science
  • Observe and describe how a stopper changes the motion of an object that is moving (e.g., slow down, stop movement, or shift direction).
  • Predict how a stopper will change the motion of an object that is moving (e.g., slow down, stop movement, or shift direction).