Product title

Science Explorer II

Activity title on CD-Rom

Water slide

Key Stage and year

KS2, Y6

Curriculum Reference

 
Science

Primary Curriculum

QCA Y6 6E Forces in action
NC Sc1 KS2 Sc1 2 j - k Sc4 2 b 2 e

Scottish Guidelines

Environmental Studies 5-14 Society, Science and Technology Energy and Forces Level D

This could be used to support experimental work on gravity. Discuss with the children what makes the child move down the slide. What is pushing or pulling the child? Does the child go faster as they fall?
The activity looks at how varying the height and angle of approach affects the distance travelled by the child on the slide. The height is the crucial factor, as this will control the acceleration and final speed of the sliding child.
The importance of the height can be seen in the final pattern of the results, which can be printed and then transferred to a line graph.