Children often enjoy filling cartons that are suspended in elastic (informal spring scale) to see how far they go down with different items.
Adults could cut cartons in half, punch a hole in each side and thread with string, susp
Children often enjoy filling cartons that are suspended in elastic (informal spring scale) to see how far they go down with different items.
Adults could cut cartons in half, punch a hole in each side and thread with string, suspending them on thin elastic bands taped to a wall/cupboard. A selection of small everyday items of different weights can provide surprises.
Children choose items to put into the cartons and discuss why some items pull the carton down further than others. They can then predict for new items.
Encouraging mathematical thinking and reasoning:
What do you see? What are you noticing?
What happened with the orange? Did it go down a lot further or a little further compared with the...?
What do you think is happening this time?
I wonder why we are getting different things happening?
Why do you think that? What about you, Jordan?
I wonder what will happen with the sponge and the pebble? And the banana?
What do you think?
How sure are you?
Why do you think our prediction was wrong? What about you?
Can you make a mark where you think the bottom of the carton will stretch to?
What do the marks tell us? What happened?
Maybe use a different colour fo