I started by showing the children a toy car and a small puff ball. I asked them to try to move the objects without touching them. They mostly got the items to move by blowing and tilting the tables. The higher they tilted, the more the object moved. The harder they blew, the more likely the object was to move. By doing this, the children demonstrated the concepts of friction, gravity, and force without knowing the definition officially.
They then were asked to drop 4 items to observe their path to the floor.
A paper helicopter, a tissue, a piece of paper, and a ball.
The children were working with concepts they couldn't put a name to yet. As a class I gave them a definition.
Force: a push or a pull on an object
Gravity: a force that pulls objects toward earth
Friction: when two objects rub and resist motion
The children had a name for the concepts. From now on, we use these terms daily while talking about science or during teachable moments. "Why is your coat moving when the wind blows? If you lean in your chair, friction might not be strong enough to keep you there and gravity will take over!" I asked the children to take a look at their car tires to see the bumps. Without friction, it would be a lot more dangerous to drive!
Some discussions to have at home: What would it be like to live in a world without gravity? Friction?
Here are some relevant videos to help drive in the concepts:
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