Balls and Ramps:
Grade: K
Subjects: Comparison. Inclined planes. Motion. Observation. Physical properties. Physical sciences. Process skills. Science. Weight.
This information is from the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse.
| Abstract |
| Abstract: This teacher's guide, developed for grade K and 1 as part of the INSIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCIENCE CURRICULUM, provides a series of learning experiences designed to help students develop their understanding of balls and their motion. INSIGHTS is a hands-on, inquiry based science curriculum that uses open ended exploration activities to help students develop process skills and scientific content knowledge. The curriculum encourages students to develop thinking and process skills by trying out ideas and discussing their discoveries. This teacher's guide contains a module of fourteen activities in which students learn about the properties and characteristics of balls and the things that affect the way balls behave. The lessons begin with an individual or group interview in which students share their experiences with balls and what they know about them. In subsequent activities, students compare the size and weight of different balls and how well they bounce and roll; use a variety of balls to relate movement to the physical characteristics of balls; and make their own balls out of plasticene. They also conduct a series of experiments to find out what balls do on inclined planes. Some of the variables they manipulate include the height and steepness of the ramp, the weight of the balls, and the size of the balls. In a culminating activity, students use what they have learned to build a complex ramp system. The module concludes with a final interview to assess student learning. The teacher's guide includes recommendations directing open ended activities and cooperative learning, for teaching students from diverse backgrounds, and for mainstreaming students with mental and physical disabilities. For each activity, the teacher's guide provides teaching suggestions, a summary of learning objectives, time, and materials, and background information in addition to assessments and reproducible worksheets. A glossary and a resource list of books and audiovisual materials are also provided. Also available are a materials kit and a set of Spanish blackline masters. (Author/LCT) |