More Inertia

More Inertia

You will need: A block of wood, strong thread.

Cut two pieces of strong thread and suspend a block of wood from the end of one piece. Tie the other length of thread to the underside of the wood, as shown.

This is another simple experiment in inertia. Pull slowly and steadily on the lower thread, gradually increasing the downward pressure until the upper thread breaks.

Set up again. But this time give the lower thread a sharp, powerful tug and the bottom length of thread will snap. It is because you tug sharply that the inertia of the wooden block prevents the force you are using from reaching the upper thread.

Children learn best through doing

Before children can understand a thing, they need experience: seeing, touching, hearing, tasting, smelling; choosing, arranging, putting things together, taking things apart. Experimenting with real things.

Old-time school teaching used only words and the teachers thought children knew something if they could repeat it. Now we know better. To reach practical understanding we do not need to use many words with young children.

Children are clever. They learn a lot, without being taught. The greatest skill - to be able to talk, to communicate is learnt outside school. In the classroom it's the children who need to talk the most. Unfortunately it is the teacher who does most of the talking!