The Blue Dragon
Programme 9: Slipping and Sliding
This programme aims to develop children's understanding of forces and ideas
about push and pull, as well as early ideas about friction.
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Like Programme 8, this story is also set in a snowy and icy location. Here the characters
are enjoying sledging and finding out how the sledge moves over different surfaces
and the difference in pulling an empty and full sledge.
A new character, Badger, is introduced and the wolf returns to steal the sledge.
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The programme explores:
- push and pull as forces that can make things move;
- push and pull as forces that can make things change direction;
- the bigger the push or pull force the faster or the further something will
move;
- friction as a force that slows things down or makes something stop moving.
There are many curriculum links that can be made, for example:
- Geography – Travel Agents, cold countries around the world, ski resorts around the world.
- English – writing postcards or commentating on a sport, for example a ski competition.
- Art – design and draw postcards.
- Design and technology – design a sledge or toboggan.
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A push force can make things move, slow down, stop and change direction. A pull
force can make things move and change direction.
Friction is a force that makes things slow down or stop. When surfaces move over
each other there is friction. Smooth surfaces have little friction and can move
over each other easily. The rougher the surface the greater the friction between
the two. This is because the bumps on each surface catch on one another and make
it difficult for each surface to move.
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In this activity children engage children in a fair-test investigation set around
the idea of a runaway sledge. Ask the children to find out 'Which is the
best material to stop a runaway sledge?'
Give children a ramp down which they can send a piece of shiny metal or plastic
(a pretend sledge) that will slide down the surface. Ask them to test different
materials at the bottom of the ramp to find out which one is the best one to stop
the runaway sledge.
The role-play area could be changed into a Travel Agency where children could peruse
travel brochures to winter resorts and book holidays. Encourage children to role-play
different characters, such as the travel agent or person looking for a holiday.
The agent should give advice about each holiday and, for example, what kind of activities
would be available and what clothes to wear.
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