Friction and Measurement
~ from Devon Hamner

A favorite activity that I've shared with my kindergarten kids is combining the science lesson of friction with the math of measurement. We have car races. Each child brings a vehicle smaller than their hand. I have a box set up at an angle, one end on the chair, the other on the floor. I have a cut in the box with a cardboard piece that holds two cars in place until I tip it to allow the race to begin. We race on the carpet first, and measure the distances. Then we can graph the results and declare winners. Then we race again on the tile. Kids predict if their vehicles will go longer or shorter distances. They love it, and it is wonderful practice for measuring, counting, graphing, predicting, etc.