No, planes fly because of the force of lift generated by the wings as air flows over and under them. Being light helps but is not the primary reason. Child: Why does the kite fly? Teacher: Because the wind is pushing it. Correct! The kite flies because the wind pushes against its large surface area, overcoming its weight. Being pushed by an external force like wind is what enables the kite to fly. Child: Why does the helicopter fly? Teacher: Because its rotors push air downwards. Well done! Helicopters generate lift by pushing air downwards with their rotors. This reaction force pushes the helicopter upwards, allowing it to fly even in a

1. ECE213 Children’s Science, Mathematics &
Technology
Seminar 3 28 March 2012
Dr Yeap Ban Har www.i-teach-k.blogspot.com
Agenda for Seminar
 An Undergraduate Experience – Writing with
Precision
 Where is the Maths?
 Where is the Science?
 Wrapping up Maths
 Reflection
 Next Week – Give an Example of Technology

2. Writing with Precision
Strategy: Using a Framework

4. Jerome Bruner - Revisited

5. Through activities such as making two-eye
monsters and three-eye monsters, children learn
the idea of making equal groups which serves
as a foundation for learning multiplication and
division in primary school.

6. Using pattern blocks, make the hexagon using
other pieces.
Is it more red or more green?
Is it more blue or more green?
Visit National Library of Virtual Manipulatives
http://nlvm.usu.edu/

7. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJUi2IP1ElA 1, 2,
Buckle my shoe.
3, 4,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2P5bVpLO50 Shut the door.
5, 6,
Pick up sticks.
We study this rhyme to understand
7, 8,
Lay them straight.
- Rote counting
9, 10,
- Rational counting
A big fat hand.
We also discussed forces.
Children are used to pulling and pushing, both
of which are essentially the application of
force.
As a teacher you know that things move when
push, things stop moving after a while, things
are heavy, things turn, things change shape
because of forces.

8. Spot the Mistakes
Child: Why does the feather fly?
Teacher: Because It is light.
The fact that the feather is light means it has a weight – just that less of it.
This means earth is pulling it down! Being light does not explain why things fly.
Child: So, the plane flies because it is light!
(Or Dr Jia Jia would say in Singlish: Plane fly. Light, meh?