CU 4.15Ramps

1. 1

   Set the board on one block. Let the car go from the top without pushing.

2. 2

   Place a marker where the car stops.

3. 3

   Add a second block to raise the ramp. Let the car go the same way and mark where it stops.

4. 4

   Compare the markers: 'The higher ramp sent the car farther.'

5. 5

   Add a third block and ask the child to predict, then test.

6. 6

   On another day, let each object in the basket go from the top and sort them into 'rolls' and 'slides or stays'.

7. 7

   Say: 'A ramp is a simple machine. Its other name is inclined plane.'

What catches the child’s eye

• The car shooting past the old marker when the ramp goes up one block
• A cylinder rolling straight down while a cube just sits on the slope

Extensions, easiest to hardest

1. Count how many floor tiles or rulers each roll went
2. Cover the ramp with a towel and compare
3. Roll two cars side by side from ramps of different heights
4. Find ramps in the neighborhood: wheelchair ramps, driveways, slides