Summary

This lesson should be used towards the end of a unit of work on forces when pupils have already explored the concepts of pushing and pulling, gravity and friction.

Discuss the activity with the class as it first appears on screen. Without interacting with the whiteboard ask the class to predict what will happen to the speed of the car as the slope alters. Ask them to give reasoned answers. Now carry out the experiment with pupils operating the whiteboard screen. Are their predictions correct?

Next change the surface and repeat the questioning. Repeat the experiment demonstrating the use of the whiteboard table or flipchart tools to record the results in a suitable form.

Alternatively, pupils could record the data on worksheets and graph slope against time. To conclude, discuss reasons for the different speeds on a rougher surface and ask how the pupils would ensure that such an investigation was fair. As an extension activity, groups of pupils could carry out their own investigations using a greater variety of surfaces.

Suitable for

Year 5/6

Using a non-interactive whiteboard

The activity would be the same on a projector whiteboard as the ramp and buttons could be activated from the desktop computer with a mouse. Students should record the results manually rather than with the whiteboard table or flipchart tool.

Prior learning required

Pupils should know that a force can be a push or a pull. All things are pulled to the centre of the Earth through gravity. Friction is a slowing-down force.

Aims and objectives:

• to investigate what happens to the speed of a vehicle as it moves down different slopes
  
• to understand that gravity is the force moving the vehicle
  
• to understand how the force of friction acts against another force to slow an object down
  
• to control and consider the effect of different variables during an investigation
  
• to record and display the results of an investigation graphically

Timings

1 x 45 min lesson on the whiteboard activity
1 x 45 min lesson recording graphically and interpreting results
2 x 45 min lessons for extension activities

Suggestions for group activities

• A selected group of pupils could operate the interactive activity and record results using a flipchart. Other groups would record manually on prepared sheets.
  
• Following the interactive activity and discussion, each group would input results using a graphing program.
  
• Group planning of extension investigation followed by practical work.

Suggestions for differentiation

• More able pupils could construct their own table and choose a suitable axes range when drawing graphs either on paper or at the computer.
  
• Other pupils could record on worksheets with prepared blank tables and labelled axes on the graph section with appropriate instructions.

Further activities

Pupils could investigate the speed of different weight or size vehicles on a fixed angle slope and devise methods of reducing friction either on the slope or on the vehicle.

Curriculum links

Science:

• Scientific enquiry 1.1, 1.2 ? investigating scientific phenomena and testing ideas through investigation and measurement
  
• Communication 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.6 ? presenting scientific information using standard units; presenting and considering information using ICT
  
• Physical processes ? forces and motion: 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.6 measuring forces and direction of movement; understanding friction

Mathematics:

• Understanding and applying mathematics ? patterns of measurement
  
• Data handling

ICT ? Communicating and handling information

Modelling ? exploring the effect of changing variables in simulations; recognising the results from patterns and relationships obtained from ICT models