Lesson Plan
Submitted by Tony Davies,
Minsterley Primary School
Friction Jelly Cubes
Learning
Friction can be useful or not beneficial.
Misconceptions
Children often see friction as something rubbing and therefore not advantageous.
Design Technology is often a good cross curricular way of learning about the way
friction can help or impede e.g. wheels on a model car must turn freely but they must
also grip the road to move efficiently.
Previous Learning
Children should have some knowledge of forces.
Resources
Plates
Jelly Cubes
Chopsticks
Vegetable Oil
Phase 1
Set up a race between teams to move 6 jelly cubes from one plate to another using the
chopsticks.
Phase Two
Round two this time smear the cubes with vegetable oil with predictable results
Key Learning Points
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The friction was useful because it stopped the jelly from slipping.
Look at other ways that friction could be useful e.g. brakes, tyres, holding on
to a rope etc.
The oil made it slip there was little friction so that the chopsticks could hold
the jelly. Link with oil on a road – it’s dangerous!
Look at ways that oil could be used so that little friction was useful for
example inside an engine, stopping hinges squeaking etc.
Extension
Making sets of useful friction and when reducing friction can also be advantageous
Curriculum link with PSHE considering when Friction can cause danger e.g. Ice (No
Friction) and Scraping your knee on the playground (Too much friction).
Risk
Do not use peanut oil.
Watch any spillage of oil on the floor (skidding hazard …. Too little friction)