Rolling Things

Students experiment with variable testing using cars and ramps.

Core concepts include potential and kinetic energy, mass, gravity, velocity, and momentum.

The Three Little Pigs Sledding Adventure explores how different sled materials affect the three pigs' ability to outfox the Big Bad Wolf, encouraging students to make connections with their own observations throughout the activities.

Lesson Plan Overview: Suggested 7 lessons over 12 days

Lesson 1 - Playing with Cars and Ramps
Students begin to explore the cars and ramps. They are given a variety of toy cars and asked to observe differences between the cars and how they perform. Student pairs then investigate the cars and ramps in a non-structured way. Students make informal observations about why different cars might perform differently.

 

Lesson 2 - Crash and Bash
Students are introduced to a "crash box" that they can crash their cars into. Student pairs then informally investigate what happens when cars crash into the box. Students make observations about why different cars might perform differently.

 

Lesson 3 - Getting to Know the Cars and Ramps
Students talk and think about the cars and ramps more deeply. In pairs, students talk about their prior experiences, drawing on their prior knowledge. Students practice predicting and explaining their reasoning. Using their predictions, they create a class histogram.

 

Lesson 4 - Ramp Height
In this activity, students begin to work in a more structured way with the cars and ramps. Students experiment with how ramp height affects how far cars move the crash box. Pairs of students choose one car to work with and explore how far the car moves the crash box when it is rolled down different ramp inclines. They record their data on ramp height and how far the crash box moves in a table and begin to draw conclusions (or reinforce prior knowledge)about the effect that ramp height has on how far the crash box is displaced. They also record their observations through drawing.

 

Lesson 5 - Car Weight
Students experiment and record how far a car moves a crash box as weight is added as cargo. Students begin to draw conclusions (or reinforce prior knowledge) about the effect that weight has on the strength of a crash. They also record their observations through drawing.

 

Lesson 6 - Outfoxing the Big Bad Wolf
Students hear the story The Three Little Pigs' Sledding Adventure and begin to relate it to the activities they've been doing.

 

Lesson 7 - Make It Happen
Students continue experimenting with the cars and ramps. They create the conditions-by changing ramp height and car weight-that will allow their car to (1) be stopped by the big bad wolf and (2) knock over the big bad wolf.

 

Kit Materials

This kit is designed to be a learning center for a class size of 24 students working in pairs.
 

Item Display on Website

Quantity

Wooden Truck

1

Wooden Convertible

1

Wooden Sedan

1

Wooden Car with Peg

1

Ramp and Ramp Support

1

Crash Box

1

Blue Track

1

Velcro Dots

10 sets

Sticky Flags

1 box

Washers

15

Toy Wolf

1

Measuring Tape 

1

Children's Book: Three Little Pigs Sledding Adventure

1

Downloadable Curriculum and Supporting Files

1

 

Resources

Sample Lesson Plan

Tradebooks to Introduce STEM

X