Playground surfaces

Discovery question

What happens when you change the surface of a playground slide?

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In this activity, you will compare different surface materials for a slide.

Engage

Affective Network Coach - Engage & motivate - Why learn this? Slides are fun!   Imagine if you were asked to design one.  Think about the different kinds of surfaces you might use.

Strategic Network Coach - Planning & performing tasks - How do I do this?

Recognition Network Coach- Gathering facts & describing - What is happening?

Cannot resolve external resource into attachment. When they returned from Sticky World (surfaces have lots of friction) and Slippery World (surfaces have almost no friction), Maria and Eduardo wanted to explain to their friends what it was like. They decided to use a computer model where you could change the amount of friction.

Which surface would be the most like Sticky World?

L5 currently blank L4 Think about the one with the greatest friction. L3 Remember that friction is a force that slows the motion of objects that are touching. L2 Keep in mind that a force is a push or a pull that tends to make an object stop, move or change direction. L1 Select the stickiest from the following list: 0 steel 0 wood 0 ice 0 carpet

Which surface would be most like Slippery World?

L5 currently blank L4 Think about the one with the least friction. L3 Remember that friction is a force that slows the motion of objects that are touching. L2 Keep in mind that a force is a push or a pull that tends to make an object stop, move or change direction. L1 Select the slipperiest from the following list: 0 steel 0 wood 0 ice 0 carpet

Write in the boxes below the surface materials in order from the most sticky to the most slippery.
In this model you can change how steep the slide is. You can also change the surface of the slide. You have four choices of material:

Steel:  [icon]
Wood:  [icon]
Ice:  [icon]
Carpet:  [icon]

More friction (sticky)
[four separate text boxes]
Less friction (slippery)

Explore

[Insert slide model]

Cannot resolve external resource into attachment. Technical Hint: How to work the Model: Small [TV icon: animated GIF

Affective Network Coach - Engage & motivate - Why learn this?

Strategic Network Coach - Planning & performing tasks - How do I do this?

Recognition Network Coach- Gathering facts & describing - What is happening? You are testing one condition right now.  Watch what happens when the ramp is made of steel.

Explore page 2

Now test the wood surface material by clicking on the circle for wood.

1. Click the Play button and lift the slide by clicking the Raise ramp button. Wait a couple seconds after clicking the button to see if the boy starts to slide.  If he does not move, click Raise ramp again.  Count how many times you clicked the Raise ramp button before the boy started to slide.

2. Use the Reset button to test the wood surface material again.

3. Record your results of the height needed to start the boy to slide in the table below.

Material
Number of clicks on the Raise ramp button to start the boy
sliding
Steel
Wood 

Explore page 3

In the model above, test the ice surface material by clicking on the circle for ice.

1. Click the Play button and lift the slide by clicking the Raise ramp button. Wait a couple seconds after clicking the button to see if the boy starts to slide.  If he does not move, click Raise ramp again.  Count how many times you clicked the Raise ramp button before the boy started to slide.

2. Use the Reset button to test the ice surface material again.

3. Record your results of the height needed to start the boy to slide in the table below.

Material
Number of clicks on the Raise ramp button to start the boy
sliding
Steel
Wood
Ice 

Explore page 4

In the model above, test the carpet surface material by clicking on the circle for carpet.

1. Click the Play button and lift the slide by clicking the Raise ramp button. Wait a couple seconds after clicking the button to see if the boy starts to slide.  If he does not move, click Raise ramp again.  Count how many times you clicked the Raise ramp button before the boy started to slide.

2. Use the Reset button to test the carpet surface material again.

3. Record your results of the height needed to start the boy to slide in the table below.

Material
Number of clicks on the Raise ramp button to start the boy sliding
Steel
Wood
Ice
Carpet

Explain

1) Did the kid slide on all of the surface materials?
 

L5 Currently blank L4 Review your table of results as you formulate an answer. L3 Is there a material on a slide that you could sit on that would not allow you to move down a slide? Explain how this relates to the model? L2 I found that the most sticky surface stopped the boy from sliding. That surface material was [text box] I found the most slippery surface allowed the boy to slide easily. That surface material was [text box] L1 Some possible answers include:Just like in the real world, slippery objects (like steel ice skates on ice) slide easily without very little effort. On the other hand, sticky materials (like sand paper on wood) need to have more help moving down a slide. [text box]  Cynthia's comments: L1 scaffolding: On the other hand, sticky materials (like sandpaper on wood) need to have more help moving down a slide.  ["Needing more help" is an interesting phrase here.  I'm not sure of the implications.  What does "help" mean scientifically speaking?]

2) As the results of your test, again place the surface material icons in order from the most slippery to the most sticky.
Steel:  [icon]
Wood:  [icon]
Ice:  [icon]
Carpet:  [icon]
Most slippery
[four separate text boxes]
Most sticky

Elaborate

Is there a material on a slide that you could sit on that would not allow you to move down the slide?  (Yes/No)

Affective Network Coach - Engage & motivate - Why learn this? Sometimes slides are too fast and sometimes they are too slow!

Strategic Network Coach - Planning & performing tasks - How do I do this? Think about a slide with peanut butter on it.  Could you slide down it?  What about one with jelly?  Consider lots of other materials the slide could be made of.

Recognition Network Coach- Gathering facts & describing - What is happening? You did several experiments using the model.  How do the results help you answer the questions?

Evaluate

How is the model like the real world?
a) The stickier the surface the harder it is to slide.

b) The more slippery the surface the harder it is to slide.

c) The stickier the surface the easier it is to slide.

d) The height of a slide can be changed easily.

Explain your answer to the above question.  

L5 Currently blank L4 Think about the different materials in the real world. Would carpet, wood, steel, and ice have a different height on a playground slide? L3 Think about slides in the real world. Do real slides change height based on the material on the slide? L2 On a real playground, does the height of a slide relate to the material that is on the slide? L1 The stickier the material on the slide, the harder it is to slide. The more slippery the material on the slide, _______.

friction_model.jpg (image/jpeg)
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