Discovery Centers from Year 1 Training

Cars, Ramps and Friction
To Do:
Using the materials provided, what can you learn about cars and ramps?
 
Starter Questions:

• Are some cars faster than others?
• Do all cars reach the bottom of the ramp at the same time?
• Which cars travel the greatest distance?
• How far can you make a car go?
• What happens if a moving car collides with a stationary car?

 
For Further Investigation:

Try using different surfaces. Can you:

• Make your cars go faster, farther?
• Slow your cars down?
• Can you use different surfaces so that two cars reach the bottom at exactly the same time?
• Other ideas to try?

 

Using Moving Energy
 
To Do:
We will explore the energy in a moving object:

• Make a ramp with the materials provided.
• Place a wooden cylinder 18” from the bottom of the ramp.
• Try rolling different balls down the ramp and see if they have enough energy to knock the cylinder over.

 
Starter Questions:

• Do all balls knock over the cylinder?
• If not, what can you change so that all balls will knock it over?
• What happens with a heavier cylinder?
• What are all the different changes you can make to your system so a light ball can knock over a cylinder? Or so a heavy ball won’t knock it over?
• What other ideas can you try?

 
 
Reinventing the Wheel
 
To Do:
Using the materials provided, can you make a circle roll down a ramp in a straight line?
 
Starter Questions:

• What changes can you make to your wheel to improve how well it rolls?
• How can you tell your changes made an improvement?
• What can you do to make your wheel reach the bottom the quickest? Is this the same as the farthest?
• Can you make a wheel that rolls slowly down your ramp, while still in a straight line?

 
For Further Investigation:
Using the materials, make a wheel and axle (two wheels connect to one axle):

• Does you wheel and axle roll straight?
• What can you do to make it go far?
• Other ideas to try?
  
  

Tubes and Ball Relay
 
To Do
Using tubes and ramp, can you pass one ball from one person to another, all the way across the room?
 
Game Rules:

• Your group chooses one ball to use.
• You each choose one tube or ramp from the table to use.
• The person with the ball needs to stand in place, not walk or run with the ball in their tube or ramp.
• Your tubes (or ramps) can be close, but must not touch.
• Group members will need to rotate through the line to get the ball all the way across the room.

 
For Further Investigation:

• Try different balls.
• Time your group and see if you can improve your time.
• How far can your group travel?

 

​Balls and Ramp Bocce
 
To Do:
Play a game of bocce with the balls and ramp.
 
Game Rules:

• Your group chooses 11 balls.
• You must have at least four different types of balls.
• Divide into two teams. Each team gets 5 balls. The 11th ball is the “pallino.”
• A member of the first team rolls the pallino down the ramp.
• Alternate between teams, with one member at a time rolling one of their balls down the ramp, trying to get as close to the pallino as possible. Then it is time for a member of the other team to do the same with one of their balls.
• Each ball roller can make any changes to the ramp they wish, except the distance to the pallino.
• Score each game after all the balls have been rolled:
  • Determine which team has the closest ball.
  • This team gets 1 point for each ball closest to the pallino than the other team’s closest ball.
  • The other team gets zero points.
• Play a round of three games and tally your score.

 


​