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Readings:One-page readings for beginning readers, show examples of pushes and pulls in everyday life.
Read-aloud:Demolition by Sally Sutton is a fun read-aloud with great illustrations.
Videos:These videos show that it takes a big push to knock down a building.
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Readings for beginning readers:
These Common-Core-aligned readings provide examples of pushes and pulls that make things move. All include comprehension questions and are free with registration on ReadWorks.
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Exploration
hand opening door by
Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: jassada watt_
girl pushing imaginary wall by
Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Juriah Mosin
wall by
Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: tratong
hammer by
Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: magicoven
Berlin by
argentum
, used under Public Domain
hammer by
Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: abdrahimmahfar
woman smashing wall by
Nicole Wharton
building exploding by
exception722
building demolition gone wrong by
JAY MONDO
wrecking ball in action by
Jeff Lowe
double wrecking ball by
Benjamin Beytekin
Activity
baby chicks by
Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: dianaduda
“Kids loved the activity, and it got some of our kids with special needs much more engaged because of the movement. ”
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Melissa
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Teacher
· about 5 years ago
“They loved doing the activity and figuring out how knock over the cups while keeping the buildings safe. Hearing them cheer for their success was wonderful. Great real world connection to the video as well.”
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Kristin
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Other
· about 5 years ago
“My kids LOVED the wrecking ball experiment. WE had so much fun setting it up and trying to figure out how to keep our houses safe from the wrecking ball! Great discussion!”
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Heidi
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Teacher
· over 5 years ago
“The kids were engaged and were actively thinking about how much force to put behind the wrecking ball.
Easy set-up and clean-up!”
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Cathy
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Teacher
· over 5 years ago
“The best part was being able to knock down cups with pretend wrecking balls (hands-on learning). The students were engaged with their turn and enjoyed watching other students too. Great lesson!”
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Jason
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Teacher
· over 5 years ago
“The wrecking balls were so simple to make and extremely engaging. I loved that there were pockets of time dedicated to asking the students what they were discovering, through guided questions. The connection to the Berlin Wall was great as it helped students understand the concept through real life context. ”
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Jennifer
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Teacher
· over 5 years ago
“Students loved using the wrecking ball. It was easy to prep and set up. I appreciated the easy to follow directions. ”
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Kari
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Teacher
· over 5 years ago
“The on-screen instructions and demo made my kids think about what they were supposed to do before they went to the game boards. And I loved the Berlin wall connection and videos of the building demolitions.”
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Laura
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Teacher
· over 5 years ago
“I loved the ingenious paper wrecking ball! Thank you for making resources that are so easy to use at home. The kids loved experimenting with different configurations of the cups and houses afterwards.”
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Victoria
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Homeschooler
· over 5 years ago
“making the wrecking ball”
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Carly
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Homeschooler
· over 5 years ago
“The children loved the experiment - it was hands on and provided just the right level of challenge. Thank you”
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Emma
·
Teacher
· over 5 years ago
“The students were really engaged and practiced their work words. We then talked about the questions at the end which went into interactive writing. ”
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Ana
·
Teacher
· about 6 years ago
“Watching the kids put the words into action.”
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Lynn
·
Teacher
· about 7 years ago
“we loved it. the game was great. learning about the Berlin wall was so applicable & wonderful! ”
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Suraya
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Homeschooler
· about 7 years ago
“The students really enjoyed the hands on activity. They had great fun exploring with different angles and pressures. The activity also did a great job of leading the kids to ask questions and make connections with their world. ”
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Michelle
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Teacher
· about 7 years ago
“I loved the way the lesson related forces to a real life, historical situation - the Berlin Wall. The kids had fun, but also used what they had learned about forces, including how engineers have to adapt when there are constraints, ie the houses behind the wall.”
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Phyllis
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Teacher
· about 7 years ago
“The extras were great! My students enjoyed the activity in groups. It ran very smoothly since you supplied the step by step directions!”
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Traci
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Teacher
· about 7 years ago
“Loved the video about the Berlin Wall--a little history lesson added to the forces lesson. The children loved the knock down the wall activity!”
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·
Teacher
· over 7 years ago
“We are looking at walls as a technology, Building them and testing them...this lesson added depth to our work.”
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Mike
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Teacher
· over 7 years ago
“I appreciated the cross-curricular content portion of the lesson. Students found Germany on the globe, learned a bit of history, and then explored the causes and effects of force and motion to their hearts content!”
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Katherine
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Teacher
· over 7 years ago
“The best part was when our 7 year old son Asher, who is one of my students, quizzed his mom on what she thinks is the best way to destroy a building or wall without damaging anything nearby. Afterwards he provided her with the best strategies to do it. I found this encouraging when that same day I wondered if the students actually learned anything valuable from this lesson. ”
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Jonathan
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Teacher
· over 7 years ago
“Of course the wrecking ball game. I used this lesson for my observation with my principal. She was so impressed she pulled out her phone and started taking pictures. ”
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Sharon
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Teacher
· over 7 years ago
“the experiment was fabulous! I loved the step-by-step instructions for set up, and the instructional video of the experiment was very helpful for my students”
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Andrea
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Teacher
· over 7 years ago
“The children loved the wrecking ball activity and using the work words to describe the work of the machine worked out well. ”
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Sue
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Teacher
· over 7 years ago
“Kids have been building walls to knock over with the wrecking ball all week!”
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Jennifer
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Homeschooler
· over 7 years ago
“My daughter successfully learned terms she wasn't aware of before. I love the additional items such as the videos, experiments, additional reading. Its full and complete. ”
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Desria
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Homeschooler
· over 7 years ago
“I had a student that actually went home and recreated the Wrecking Ball activity! The parent sent me a picture and told me he did it all by himself.”
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Susan
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Teacher
· over 7 years ago
“my homeschooling class was able to to this by themselves with only printing help from me! They are from 2nd up to 5th”
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Debra
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Homeschooler
· over 7 years ago
“My kids loved coming up with ways to take down the wall without knocking over any nearby buildings. Their ideas were so creative!”
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Alyssa
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Teacher
· over 7 years ago
“Educating kids about the Berlin wall, while teaching science... an important lesson all around.”
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Homeschooler
· over 7 years ago
“The video and photos were great visual aids! My boys LOVED it! ”
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Summer
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Homeschooler
· over 7 years ago
“The activity was the best part! The materials and video were very thorough in explaining how to set it all up. We added a conversation about why the 'crane' was set at 45 degrees and not 180 degrees. In addition, during the video we talked about what factors would impact the amount of time it took to dig the hole such as who was digging (dad or child) and what tool they were using (a spoon or a shovel). Thank you!! ”
In this lesson, students change the strength and direction of a wrecking ball’s push in order to solve a tricky problem. The activity, Don't Crush That House, is a game in which students experiment with the force of a paper wrecking ball in order to knock down a wall of cups. The challenge is: they can’t knock down the paper houses!
Your students will play the Wrecking Ball game in groups, taking turns. To help you determine how many game stations to set up, we suggest splitting your class into groups of 4.
Prepare Game Stations Before Class
Before class, get all the Game Station pieces ready for your students.
Find the page titled “The Foldable Houses.” Cut out and fold the houses. (If you are making multiple stations, you can use a paper cutter.)
Find “The Foldable Wrecking Ball” page. Fold it and tie it to the end of the ribbon, following the instructions printed on the sheet. Use transparent tape to keep the Wrecking Ball from unfolding.
You are going to use masking tape to attach the yardstick to your support. To see how, watch this short video. For easier taping, clip the stick to the support first. Make sure the stick is at a 45º angle. Tape at two points — high & low.
Adjust the length of the ribbon so that the wrecking ball will hit the top of the cups as it swings. Clip the ribbon in place with a binder clip.
Tape the Game Board to the floor, like this. (Match A with A and B with B.)
Your students will set up the cups and houses when they are ready to play.