Kindergarten · Science · week 20

Ramps: higher = faster?

Investigate whether raising a ramp's height changes how fast an object rolls down it.

A ramp is a slanted surface that connects a lower spot to a higher spot. Today you will test a question: does a steeper ramp make an object roll faster?

To test it fairly, you use the same ball and the same ramp, and only change one thing: how high the ramp is raised.

📋 For the teacher
Teach it (10–15 min):
  • Build a simple ramp together using a board or stiff cardboard and a stack of books.
  • Test the low ramp first, then add height and test again, keeping the ball the same both times.
  • Ask your child to predict before every single test, not just the first one.
  • Talk about a real steep hill or slide your child has experienced to connect the idea.
Talk about it:
  • What happened when you made the ramp steeper?
  • Did the ball go slower or faster?
  • Why do you think that happened?

Mastery looks like: They correctly predict and confirm that a steeper ramp makes a ball move faster, and can describe the test they ran.

Common stumbles: Guessing without actually testing; changing the ball and the ramp height at the same time, which makes the test unfair.

Homework for this lessonType it, write it with a stylus, or print it for pencil & paper.open →
Records attendance + 15 min of Science for this learner.
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