Teacher Recommended Resources - Balls & Ramps

These extensions are brought to you by other teachers who have used this unit. They have not been evaluated by The Einstein Project. Rev. 3/18/08

Bring in different types of balls ie Golf

Make a book about balls

Marble roll

Used "Let's find out" issue from scholastic about building ramps

Video on how balls are made – Wisconsin public television – program
– "Here's How" subject – "balls"
Video: "Making Bouncy Balls" – Let's Find Out (on PBS) – 15 min

Do experiments with families on parent's day

Make a book with some worksheets

Use carpet tubes for making huge ramps

Use pipe insulation cut in half to make ramps & loops – good to use with marbles- you can kind of make your own rollercoaster.

Used AIM's  Experience – "Huff & Puff" to compare balls and non-balls

Oriental Trading has kits for making a ball – good source of ball toys

UWGB girls and boys basketball players are good guest speakers
 Did numerous activities with the students related to the kit and science

Speakers: Ph. Ed. Teacher shared how to pump up balls & all the balls they had – demonstrated them too
- Physics teacher to discuss roller coasters & how they are built
 - Clowns or magicians who juggle balls
 - road worker to discuss how roads are built, especially the on/off ramps

Gym class included bounce & roll activities

Sport shop provided a variety of balls & with parent's help they took them apart and discussed the components

Used 2 songs to gather the students for science
- "Roll the Red Ball Down to Town"
- "I'm a Very Little Ball"

Magic School Bus video:  "Balls",
    "MSB Plays Ball"

Poem by Shel Silverstein

Tell another student instead of the teacher about their experiences

Incorporated unit on tools and simple machines with many of the lessons

Integrated CGI math with the unit

Think about edible balls

Think about balls other then normal ones they encounter
- Sun, Earth, Moon

Book: Froggy Plays Soccer
 Casey at the Bat by Patricia Polacco
 When Zeke is Home Alone  by Linda Cernak
 Roller Coaster Ride – Z. Judd
 Roll, slope, and Slide – M Dahl
 And Everyone Shouted "Pull" – C Uewellyn
 Pushing and Pulling - S. Barraclough
 Rolling – P Whitehouse
 The Great Fuzz Frenzy – Janet Stevens

Used a variety of balls in paint to create interesting tracks on paper shapes.

Have a "ball sharing  day"