Science with Kim: There’s nothing I enjoy exploring more with children than the physical world. I have always been curious about how (and why) things work. This week, the students worked with ramps and balls and had “the best day ever!” After answering the question “what is a ramp,” the children were offered what we affectionately call Swiss cheese boards (ramp stands from Kodo Kids), PVC pipes and tubes, wooden slats, and balls in various sizes, shapes, materials, and weights.
Can you answer the question, “What is a ramp?”
The children offered a variety of explanations showing their understanding of the world around them in the process. They talked about something going up or going down. They mentioned how one part of a ramp has to be higher than the other (an incline!!). Someone mentioned that ramps form triangular shapes with the ground. Another child mentioned that it is easier to go down a ramp than to go up one. We talked about gravity, friction, force, and momentum. The children made a connection between how their strollers and scooters go up the ramp from the sidewalk into the BSNS lobby.
