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- image from gophersport.com
Use connecting gym scooters to explore force and motion concepts.
The class should have discussed force and motion and Newton’s three laws of motion at their grade level. They are:
- An object at rest remains at rest, and an object in motion remains in motion at constant speed and in a straight line unless acted on by an unbalanced force.
- The acceleration of an object depends on the mass of the object and the amount of force applied.
- Whenever one object exerts a force on another object, the second object exerts an equal and opposite on the first.
Stem Scooters Equipment:
- 30 connecting scooters
- 24 pool noodles
- 24 jerseys
Before the activity review what was discussed about motion and force. For the activity, students will first play with the scooters. They will attach them in different groups and try to move them around with different types of force. They will explore to see what works best to move the scooters from one side of the gym to the other side. They will try to spin scooters in circles. Give them the pool noodles to move scooters/kids. They will explore how much force they need to move their friends on scooters. They will explore how many scooters should be attached, how many students should be on the scooters and how many should pull or push.
Use the jerseys and divide them into groups. With the students, invent a game using the scooters. For example, each group could have a home base in a corner of the gym. All the students but one of each team is in the center of the gym. That person needs to get all of their teammates to their corner with them being the only person whose hands/feet can touch the ground.
Afterwards, discuss the laws of motion and how it applied to their movements on the scooters. Discuss what strategies worked and why.
If funds are needed to acquire the supplies for this activity, consider applying for a STEM Action Center Classroom Grant.