How can you knock down a wall made of concrete?

“Kids loved the activity, and it got some of our kids with special needs much more engaged because of the movement. ”

· Melissa · Teacher

“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.”

· Kristin · Other

“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!”

· Heidi · Teacher

“The kids were engaged and were actively thinking about how much force to put behind the wrecking ball. Easy set-up and clean-up!”

· Cathy · Teacher

“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!”

· Jason · Teacher

“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. ”

· Jennifer · Teacher

“Students loved using the wrecking ball. It was easy to prep and set up. I appreciated the easy to follow directions. ”

· Kari · Teacher

“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.”

· Laura · Teacher

“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.”

· Victoria · Homeschooler

“making the wrecking ball”

· Carly · Homeschooler

“The children loved the experiment - it was hands on and provided just the right level of challenge. Thank you”

· Emma · Teacher

“The students were really engaged and practiced their work words. We then talked about the questions at the end which went into interactive writing. ”

· Ana · Teacher

“Watching the kids put the words into action.”

· Lynn · Teacher

“we loved it. the game was great. learning about the Berlin wall was so applicable & wonderful! ”

· Suraya · Homeschooler

“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. ”

· Michelle · Teacher

“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.”

· Phyllis · Teacher

“The extras were great! My students enjoyed the activity in groups. It ran very smoothly since you supplied the step by step directions!”

· Traci · Teacher

“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!”

· · Teacher

“We are looking at walls as a technology, Building them and testing them...this lesson added depth to our work.”

· Mike · Teacher

“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!”

· Katherine · Teacher

“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. ”

· Jonathan · Teacher

“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. ”

· Sharon · Teacher

“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”

· Andrea · Teacher

“The children loved the wrecking ball activity and using the work words to describe the work of the machine worked out well. ”

· Sue · Teacher

“Kids have been building walls to knock over with the wrecking ball all week!”

· Jennifer · Homeschooler

“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. ”

· Desria · Homeschooler

“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.”

· Susan · Teacher

“my homeschooling class was able to to this by themselves with only printing help from me! They are from 2nd up to 5th”

· Debra · Homeschooler

“My kids loved coming up with ways to take down the wall without knocking over any nearby buildings. Their ideas were so creative!”

· Alyssa · Teacher

“Educating kids about the Berlin wall, while teaching science... an important lesson all around.”

· · Homeschooler

“The video and photos were great visual aids! My boys LOVED it! ”

· Summer · Homeschooler

“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!! ”

· Rinky · Homeschooler

Game Station Set printout	1 per group
Blank Paper (8.5 x 11") Recycled is fine.	Details 1 sheet per group
Scotch Tape	1 roll per class
Yardstick or Meterstick	1 stick per group
Large Binder Clips (2")	2 clips per group
Masking Tape	1 roll per class
Solo Cups (9 oz)	3 cups per group
String Yarn or ribbon will work well.	Details 4 feet per group

How can you knock down a wall made of concrete?

push

pull

strong

weak

strength

Image & Video Credits

10 mins

20 mins

Extend this lesson

Vocabulary

Videos

Transcripts

How can you knock down a wall made of concrete?

push

pull

strong

weak

strength

Image & Video Credits

Featured Reviews

Activity Prep

Prepare Game Stations Before Class

10 mins

20 mins

Extend this lesson

Vocabulary

Videos

Transcripts

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