Adding Onto Our RampSimple Machine Hilarys Group Date

Adding Onto Our Ramp/“Simple Machine” Hilary’s Group Date: May 14 -16, 2013 The Children’s Experience This week the children were very excited to have the opportunity to move our ramp building outside! This week we walked around the school to see what kind of natural ramps we had outside. The children found that the ramp leading down to the playground would be a perfect place to start building. On the second day of group, I preset my own simple machine on the sidewalk to give the children some ideas. The goal this week was to get our marble down the curve ramp and reach the blocks at the bottom. The children worked really hard and built structures almost all the way down to the bottom! We also were able to use some new materials like a long downspout that was brought in my one of the parents. The children were excited to use this piece and discovered that it worked really well with our marbles. After a few attempts, the children thought that the marble might need more speed to get to the bottom so they started to put blocks underneath the piping to raise it. Next week during our meetings, we may bring out more materials to start building The children were very engaged each day putting the blocks pieces on the side so the marbles would not roll away K: “Hey guys, I know what we have to do! We need to put this here to stop the marble. ” E 1: “I need to do this [blocking the edge] with my hands to keep the marble going. ”

The Teacher’s Experience For this week I thought with the nice weather, it would be a perfect opportunity to take our ramp building outside; give the children a change in scenery as well as provide more space for the group to work (as the hallway was just too crowded). I also decided to pre-build my own structure on the ramp to help give the children some ideas and direction for building in the new location – and it worked well last week. L, J and E 1 worked hard to put the ramp pieces together on the structure to make sure the marble could roll “all the way down to the bottom!” I also added the element up the new materials (the downspout) for the sidewalk, I thought this would provide more opportunities to build as well as spark some new ideas off. Next Steps Next week, I am hoping to continue our ramp building outside and we might look around the playground for more materials (like bricks and other found objects) to help our marble go all the way down the ramp. MN Early Learning Standards Approach to learning: Using new strategies to solve a problem or explore objects; demonstrate ability to stay engaged in an experience. Social: Sustain interaction by cooperating, helping, sharing and expressing interest Cognitive: Problem Solving The children were very excited when the marble rolled down all the pieces they put together, especially when it rolled off the jump they made. K: “Yay, it worked!” D: ” Oh, it went over here. I’ll get it!”