General Science Extension Activities Lesson 4
Read Aloud
Forces: Physical Science for Kids by Andy Diehn
This book goes more into the other kinds of forces to extend their knowledge beyond the lesson. It gives great visuals.
Isaac Newton: Three Laws of Motion
Law 1: Inertia
Use an index card, a coin, and a glass. Place the card on top of the glass. Put the coin on the index card. Pull the index card out quickly. Everything starts at rest with balanced forces. When the card is pulled, gravity acts on the coin and it falls into the glass. (VanCleave Chemistry, p. 2)
Law 2: Mass Affects Force
Set up a ramp with a couple of books. Find two cans that are the same shape and size but different weights. Have students roll them at the same time to see how weight affects the amount of force (measured by speed and distance reached).
Law 3: Action & Reaction
Film canister + Alka-Seltzer: Buy empty film canisters online. Experiment with adding Alka-Seltzer tablets and closing the lids. Note that Alka-Seltzer is not child-safe to eat because of its aspirin content. Variables you can test: amount of water in the container, number of tablets, crushed vs. whole tablets, and whether the canister lid is right-side up or flipped over. The reaction happens quickly, so get the lid on tight and fast.
Simple Machines
Simple machines reduce the force needed and make work easier. Explore these through hands-on activities.
Wedge
Pencil and cardboard: Try to poke the pencil into the cardboard with both the eraser side and the pointed side. The pointed side acts as a wedge. (VanCleave Physics, p. 112)
Ramp / Inclined Plane
Show pictures of ramps (slide, skate park, wheelchair ramp, trailer). Then give students materials such as bins, poster board, trays, books, etc., to create their own ramps. Provide toy cars. Students can adjust the angle of the ramp and record when their car travels the farthest.
Lever
Three books and two pencils: Stack the books. Put your pinky finger underneath and try to lift the books. Then place one pencil parallel to the books as a fulcrum and one pencil under them, and use your pinky to lift again.
Videos
Solving Problems with Simple Machines! | SciShow Kids Compilation
Jessi and Squeaks revisit their learning about simple machines to solve various problems around the Fort, including using levers, pulleys, wheels and axles, and exploring swings and slides as simple machines.
Push and Pull for Kids – 5:27
The video teaches children about the concepts of push and pull, explaining how these forces are used to move objects, the difference between them, and how to identify them through examples like tug of war and pushing a snowball.