Instructor Notes — Week 6

Theme: Motion, Gravity & Friction (SimLab)
Focus Concept: Observing how shapes move on ramps and surfaces
Mini-Project: Sliding & Rolling Experiments

Learning Objectives

  • Open and run a simple SimLab physics simulation.
  • Compare how different shapes (cubes, cylinders, spheres) slide or roll.
  • Describe the effect of ramp steepness and surface on motion in simple language.

Session Flow (≈ 80 min)

Segment Time Focus
Recap & intro 10 Review 3D forms; introduce SimLab
Tool demo 10 Build a basic ramp test in SimLab
Guided experiment 25 Test different shapes and ramp angles
Independent tests 25 Custom ramps and mini “races”
Share & tidy 10 Compare results and key observations

Part A — Demo: First SimLab Scene

  • Show how to open a design in SimLab (or start a simple new scene).
  • Build a straightforward ramp with a block at the top and ground at the bottom.
  • Ask learners to predict what will happen, then run the simulation.
  • Swap the block for a cylinder or sphere and compare.

Highlight:

  • All objects are pulled down by gravity.
  • Some shapes roll; others mostly slide.

Part B — Guided Experiments

  • As a whole group, test:
    • A cube vs a cylinder vs a sphere.
    • A shallow ramp vs a steeper ramp.
  • After each trial, pause and ask:
    • Which went furthest?
    • Did it slide, roll, wobble, or fall off?
    • What changed when the ramp got steeper?

Keep the focus on observations, not formal physics.

Part C — Independent Experiments & Mini Challenges

  • Learners build their own ramp setups:
    • Single ramp and ground.
    • Optional obstacles or gentle curves (if they cope well).
  • Optional challenges:
    • “Which shape reaches the bottom first?”
    • “Can you design a ramp where the cube wins?”

Encourage them to run short simulations rather than building overly complex scenes.

Vocabulary for This Week

  • SimLab — the Tinkercad space that simulates motion, gravity and collisions.
  • Gravity — the force pulling objects downwards.
  • Friction — the force that slows sliding and rolling where surfaces touch.
  • Ramp — a sloping surface.

Instructor Tips

  • Keep early demos very simple; complex scenes can confuse younger learners.
  • Use “pause” and “reset” often so everyone can see what happened.
  • Encourage learners to talk about what they see before you name it (e.g. “It slowed down halfway”).

Assessment & Reflection

Look for:

  • Successful loading and running of SimLab scenes.
  • Explanations using words like “roll”, “slide”, “faster” and “slower”.
  • At least one reasoned suggestion for how to change the ramp or shape.

Prompt: “What did you change in your ramp or object, and what difference did it make?”

Common Misconceptions & Fixes

Misconception Clarification / Strategy
“The computer is random” Emphasise repeatable tests; same setup = same behaviour.
Steeper is always better Discuss that too steep may cause tumbling or flying off.
Confusing sliding with rolling Pause simulation and zoom in to show how the object moves.

Differentiation

  • Beginners:
    • Work with pre-made ramps and shapes provided by you.
    • Focus on one variable at a time (shape OR angle).
  • Confident learners:
    • Design multi-stage ramps or obstacle courses.
    • Compare multiple runs and summarise which design works best.
Subject Connection
Science Forces, gravity and friction in everyday motion.
Maths Comparing distances and informal talk about angles.
Computing Using simulation to explore real-world behaviour.

KS2 Curriculum Mapping

Strand Evidence in Session
Science — Forces Observing how surfaces and slopes affect movement.
Computing — Modelling & Simulation Using a virtual model to investigate a problem.
D&T — Technical Knowledge Linking shape and surface to performance.

Materials & Setup

  • Laptops / Chromebooks with internet and Tinkercad accounts.
  • Mouse per device.

Safety & Safeguarding

  • Handle earthquake and crash language sensitively if any pupils have difficult experiences.
  • Emphasise that this is a safe, virtual environment to try out ideas.