Lesson 14 — Fair Test: Friction and Surfaces

Physical sciences plus inquiry. Students investigate friction \u2014 a contact force that slows movement \u2014 by rolling or kicking a ball across different surfaces and measuring how far it travels, changing only the surface and keeping the ball, the push and the starting point the same. They feel friction first-hand (socks on carpet vs vinyl; stopping on a slide) then discover the pattern that rougher surfaces create more friction and stop the ball sooner. They measure with a scaled instrument, record in a table and graph the results. Uses the shared Fair Test Investigation Template. Includes a slide deck with an animated friction-on-surfaces comparison and an animated column graph, and the Friction Investigation worksheet. Connects to Numeracy (measurement, tables, column graphs) and to everyday uses of friction (brakes, walking).