The Rubber Ramp is a 25-foot flexible ramp that allows children to explore manipulating a continuous line and experiment with elevation change in relation to a start and ending point. Use the stackable stands to create hills, slopes, or banks around an entire room! Children will be intrigued for hours by this open-ended, enriching activity, all while exploring Newton’s Third Law of Motion. A great STEM activity!
Rubber Ramp with Stackers Includes:
- 25′ section of ramp
- 12 stackable stands – 8 – 3.5″ stackers and 4 – 6″ stackers
- 10 wooden balls (5 – 2″ balls and 5 – 1.75″ balls).
Product Dimensions
25 ft’ rubber ramp
Shipping Weight
20lbs
Item Model Number
10-rmp-rr-001
Pieces
– rubber ramp
– stackers
– wood balls
Materials
black rubber, pvc, wood ball
Color
black, natural wood, pvc
From the Classroom
The Rubber Ramp Kit was developed to explore Newton’s Laws of Motion. We suggest that you (teachers and parents) begin exploring the materials in the kit and then share them with your children. Compare and contrast: smooth side and raised side of the rubber ramp, sizes, and weights of the wooden balls, length, and shape of the stands. Lay the rubber ramp out flat on the floor. Elevate one end slightly. Invite children to roll the balls from end to end. Then, they step back as they discover the physics that makes the ramp work.
First, offer one ball type and then others. Vary the size, shape, and texture using ping-pong balls, golf balls, or large marbles. Ask the children to compare and explain the differences they see and experience. Does one type move faster? Slower? Do any jump off the rubber track? Which balls work “best” according to the children’s criteria? What adjustments can you make to the rubber track to reach a desired outcome?
Try changing the elevation by adding or removing the ramp stands or adding a curve to the path. Does the elevation or shape of the path affect the outcome? Help the children document their findings. Take pictures, make notes and drawings, and use graphs or charts. Then, based on the data, re-design.
Each set-up will yield different outcomes, teach various concepts, and challenge children differently. Instead of ramp stands, try setting up chairs or books. Make a long, straight path with one big bump or a curvy one with little bumps.
As the children become familiar and comfortable setting up and using the rubber ramp, offer some challenges. How could we set up a loop-de-loop? Can larger balls push smaller balls down the ramp? How do we set up a big circular or oval path?
Consider the following vocabulary to help children reach new understandings:
momentum, speed, energy, push, force
angle, curve, position, slant, slope
change, alter, adjust, modify, design, variable
sphere, inclined plane
Extend learning by incorporating literacy. We suggest the following books:
Ramps and Pathways by R. Devries & C. Sales
Inclined Planes To The Rescue by S. Thales
Roll, Slope and Slide by Michael Dahl
Mama Zooms! by Jane Cowden
Rolling Rose by James Stevenson
