Watch and Discuss: Homemade Hill

Materials

• Homemade Hill (video)

Key Science Concepts

• An object placed on a ramp will roll, slide, or stay put.
• The motion and speed of a rolling or sliding object is affected by the shape and texture of the object and the texture of the surface on which it is rolling or sliding.

Vocabulary

Encourage children to use the words surface, texture, rough, and smooth.

Directions

Before you watch: Tell children that they’ll watch a video of children making different kinds of hills out of things they find indoors.   

After you watch: Ask children if the video reminded them of any activities they’ve tried. How were they similar? Then ask:

• What types of materials do the children use to make their homemade hills? What was different about the surface or texture of these materials?
• What types of objects do the children try sliding down the hills? What was different about their texture?
• Which objects slid more easily down the couch cushion hill? Which objects did not slide well? Why do you think this is? What happened when they tried the surfboard and the bird on the cardboard hill?

Watch again: Tell children that you’re going to watch the video again, and then fill in the “Different Surfaces and Objects” chart together.