Exploring forces and motion: Third graders dive into friction

Young scientists in Third Grade Teacher Barbara Voehler’s class have been discovering the fascinating principles of friction and how they impact our everyday lives.
By Ian Dinkins, Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications

On a bright Tuesday afternoon, Third Grade Teacher Barbara Voehler’s class was filled with energy as students gathered around, ready to conduct a series of engaging experiments. The lesson focused on friction, a force that Voehler explained they experience daily but may not fully understand. 

It started off simple enough: students rubbed their hands together and filled the room with “oohs” and “ahhs”  as they noticed the warmth generated by the friction between their palms.

The lesson quickly explored the concept of friction. After a video that provided students with additional background, Voehler explained the difference between “good friction” and “bad friction.” With an animated discussion, students in the class gave examples of how “good” friction helps us drive cars safely on the road, allowing tires to grip the pavement. On the other hand, “bad” friction occurs when you run around the house with socks on and subsequently fall because of the lack of traction.

With newfound knowledge in hand, students were excited to conduct an experiment involving uncooked rice, chopsticks, and a challenge: can they lift a bottle of rice using only the friction from a chopstick? Several students took turns carefully inserting a chopstick into the bottle filled with rice.

The first few tries were unsuccessful, as each student lifted the chopstick only to see the bottle stay in the same place. As one student exclaimed, “She probably put butter on the rice!” (You have found a golden nugget: email "Friction" to Assistant Director of Marketing & Communications Ian Dinkins between Friday, October 18 and Thursday, October 24, for a chance to win a gift card to the USN Spirit Store.)

When they finally lifted the bottle successfully, faces lit up with astonishment. 

“Why do you think this is happening?” Voehler asked, prompting a lively discussion about texture, materials, and the principles of friction at play.

As the lesson concluded, students were eager to share their insights, from understanding how friction affects many aspects of daily life, like our safety on the road and even the surprise of lifting a heavy bottle with a chopstick.

“The most interesting part was seeing what worked and didn’t work and figuring out why,” said Anika Hegarty '34. “It was cool to see how friction affects our everyday lives and makes things like ice skating work.”

This hands-on approach made learning about motion and friction engaging and helped instill the critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are constantly growing in the Lower School. 

Through the lens of friction, students have been gaining a deeper understanding of the world around them —one experiment at a time.











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