I was all set to use the playground and handicapped ramp yesterday to do something on inclined planes with the entire 3rd grade and now it's torrential rains and the forecast is nasty for tomorrow... I need a quick change of plans.... I went to the deli and got a carton of 18 eggs... I saw something in a book to show the kids to drop an egg from a certain height will splatter really far and then the same height but sliding it down a book or something the egg doesn't really shatter.... this could show them that the force of something going down an inclined plane is less than a vertical drop.... I was thinking I could pile some textbooks and have them slide a toy car up that ramp and then just try to get it to climb a vertical book and see which is easier....

I want something for them to sit and create, too....like they have a pet monkey and need to get him high up in his tree.... they learned about levers last week... maybe something like 'design a machine that could make your job easiest using a lever and an inclined plane" and they would have to draw and explain why it would be easier than just putting him on a ladder and going straight up the tree....

any quick ideas tonight? thanks!!