After reading the story Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman, kindergarten students roll pumpkins down a hill behind our school. They predict which size of pumpkin will roll the farthest then test their ideas. The big pumpkin rolled the farthest, about 87 meters! Students record their observations in science notebooks and explain the phenomenon.
Using models, students discover that weight is more important than size when it comes to rolling pumpkins. Students gather evidence by racing ping-pong balls and metal marbles down a ramp. The marble wins the race every time! Even though the marbles are smaller than the ping-pong balls, they roll faster and farther because they are heavier.
Using models, students discover that weight is more important than size when it comes to rolling pumpkins. Students gather evidence by racing ping-pong balls and metal marbles down a ramp. The marble wins the race every time! Even though the marbles are smaller than the ping-pong balls, they roll faster and farther because they are heavier.
Standard 3: Physical Science (Force & Motion)
Objective 1: Identify how non‐living things move.
Objective 1: Identify how non‐living things move.
- Observe and record how objects move in different ways, e.g., fast, slow, zigzag, round and round, up and down, straight line, back and forth, slide, roll, bounce, spin, swing, float, and glide.
- Compare and contrast how physical properties of objects affect their movement, e.g., hard, soft, feathered, round, square, cone, geometric shapes.