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• Bikes: Levers, Friction, and Motion

Levels: 3-4
Contextual strands: Physical world

Synopsis

Bicycles is the topic for this book because bikes are familiar to children from most cultures and also because they allow easy investigation into the concepts of levers, friction, and motion. The concepts can be applied to other machines with wheels, such as skateboards, in-line skates, wheelchairs, scooters, and trolleys. By investigating and exploring how wheels, levers, and friction affect movement, children will have the opportunity to gain an understanding of the scientific concepts involved.

Concept overview

Use the concept overview, which is also on the inside front cover of the book, as a reference for the concepts that relate to Bikes: Levers, Friction, and Motion.

Read the concept overview (PDF 176 KB)

Links with other titles in the series

This book is aimed at levels 3–4. It explores the phenomenon of motion, specifically wheeled motion, and the effect of levers and friction on movement. This book can be used in conjunction with the following books in this series at the same level:

• Book 42: Marbles , (L3–4, Physical World)
  which explores motion and forces
• Book 54: Windmills and Waterwheels , (L3–4, Physical World)
  which investigates the transformation and transfer of energy.

Bikes also links to the Material World (the materials used to enhance movement, for example, the components of rubber tyres and the materials that reduce or increase friction). The topic also has many links to the technology curriculum, particularly in technological developments and technological applications relevant to motion.

Assessment resources

Search the science section of the Assessment Resource Banks (ARB) website to find resources that assess the 'big idea' learning outcomes referred to in the concept overview for this title.

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