Yesterday the students learned about forces. First, we played a game of Tug of War, then a couple of games of Jenga. These everyday games allowed the students to have fun while learning the importance of balanced and unbalanced forces. Next we performed some experiments with friction. They had to measure the force it takes to pull wood blocks across a variety of surfaces in one experiment. A different experiment required them to measure the speed of different types of objects sliding down a ramp made of poster board. Since each object takes a different amount of time to slide, this shows that the friction is different for each object. Tomorrow the students will start looking at the properties of Newton’s Laws of Motion and how they apply to amusement park rides. The students are getting lots of hands-on learning, and we’re having a great time!
