Here is a quick and easy addition to any classroom that is guaranteed to excite a class. Paper towel tubes are cut length wise in half to create ramps. Depending upon the surface you can staple them to bulletin boards, tape them to dry erase boards, use velcro on a really large flannel board area. Regardless of how you do it, you have created a marble track that explores acceleration and gravity, friction, the collision of objects, recognizing and controlling variables, construction techniques and a wide assortment of other concepts. Marbles race to the bottom and my students predict how long it will take. They may then change the track to make it take longer or less time. We add bells, drops and anything we can think of - the track is constantly changing all year long. The neatest thing about this is that kids can make one of these at home. One of my students created one on a large garage door a few years ago and the entire neighborhood came out to watch the fun!
