Explore slope, friction, rolling and sliding and gravitational forces. Create support columns, slides and paper balls and sleds. Experiment with height, angle and stability to create unlimited ramp variations. Contains a step-by-step project guide.
Purchase this project individually or get the Gravitational Forces bundle in the shop, which includes this project in addition to Tilting Maze and Balance.
Engineering with Paper project kits teach dozens of approaches to folding, cutting and taping paper for use in unlimited projects.
No printer? No problem! You can follow all instructions on-screen with regular copy paper.
If printing, we recommend printing your packet without scaling. Pages are sized to 8.5" x 11".
Included:
-Projects pages with project instructions and examples
Additional Supplies Needed:
Paper, scissors, tape, (optional) markers or colored pencils or crayons
This project meets these NGSS standards:
NGSSK-PS2-1
Plan and conduct an investigation to compare the effects of different strengths or different directions of pushes and pulls on the motion of an object. Examples of pushes or pulls could include a string attached to an object being pulled, a person pushing an object, a person stopping a rolling ball, and two objects colliding and pushing on each other. Assessment is limited to different relative strengths or different directions, but not both at the same time. Assessment does not include non-contact pushes or pulls such as those produced by magnets.
NGSS3-5-ETS1-2
Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
NGSSK-PS2-2
Analyze data to determine if a design solution works as intended to change the speed or direction of an object with a push or a pull. Examples of problems requiring a solution could include having a marble or other object move a certain distance, follow a particular path, and knock down other objects. Examples of solutions could include tools such as a ramp to increase the speed of the object and a structure that would cause an object such as a marble or ball to turn. Assessment does not include friction as a mechanism for change in speed.
NGSS5-PS2-1
Support an argument that the gravitational force exerted by Earth on objects is directed down. “Down” is a local description of the direction that points toward the center of the spherical Earth. Assessment does not include mathematical representation of gravitational force.
NGSS3-5-ETS1-1
Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.
NGSS3-PS2-2
Make observations and/or measurements of an object’s motion to provide evidence that a pattern can be used to predict future motion. Examples of motion with a predictable pattern could include a child swinging in a swing, a ball rolling back and forth in a bowl, and two children on a see-saw. Assessment does not include technical terms such as period and frequency.
NGSS3-5-ETS1-3
Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.
NGSS3-PS2-1
Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object. Examples could include an unbalanced force on one side of a ball can make it start moving; and, balanced forces pushing on a box from both sides will not produce any motion at all. Assessment is limited to one variable at a time: number, size, or direction of forces. Assessment does not include quantitative force size, only qualitative and relative. Assessment is limited to gravity being addressed as a force that pulls objects down.
NGSSK-2-ETS1-1
Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change to define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool.
NGSSK-2-ETS1-3
Analyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same problem to compare the strengths and weaknesses of how each performs.
NGSSK-2-ETS1-2
Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.