Grade 5: B.E. A Rescuer The Innovation of Toboggans


Originally, Canada’s First Peoples used toboggans to trans- port people and goods across snow-covered landscapes. The word “toboggan” likely originates from the word for sled by the Mi’kmaq (tobâkun)5. Toboggans were originally made with materials found in the environment and innovation over time lead to improved designs, such as bending the wood while it was still wet, to allow it to curve and hold a curved shape. A deep understanding of the properties of materials and their interactions developed through trial and error and sharing of successful designs with others lead to the toboggans we see today. The actions of toboggans are also more complicated than they first appear because of physics concepts that are often difficult to understand until they are experienced. For example, it takes a stronger push to get two students on the same toboggan moving, but it will go farther at the bottom of the hill where the slope flattens out and it will take more force to stop the toboggan than if it were empty. Experiential experimentation with forces was the root of this event and a gently sloping hill was the perfect place to experiment with different materials that help you do just that. In this event, children are introduced to physics through


push and pull forces as well as friction. They can envision early Mi’kmaq moving their families and supplies from one habitat to another and then blend these understandings to design a toboggan that suits their own specific needs. Initially, children participate in their selected snow sport and are asked to think about the forces that are involved in their movement. They then applied what they learned or knew through the building of their own toboggan using found materials on the hill, with


the objective of negotiating an obstacle course in an energy- efficient manner while carrying a passenger safely.


Materials: ‘Found’ objects such as old tarps, garbage bags, safe construction materials, cardboard, rope and duct tape were assembled in a pile. The bunny hill with its flags and pylons was adapted to become the obstacle course.


Procedure: As with the previous event, students self-selected into sporting groups and spent the day examining forces rel- evant to their equipment. Why do snowboards work? How do you manipulate forces to get down the hill faster or slower? Why don’t snowshoes sink into the snow? Students established theories around these questions and then discussed them briefly as they were introduced to the second activity. Stu- dents were assembled into teams of 3-5 members and asked to build a toboggan to rescue one of their team members from the forest. Students could select the person to be rescued, which also resulted in discussions around the impact of the size/weight of the person. Teams were given an hour to build, which required quick planning and careful teamwork, to ensure they were able to obtain the materials they wanted from the pile (the resources were limited) and complete the task in the time allocated. They then tested the toboggans one at a time as others watched. As with the grade 4 activity, analysis of the results of the experience took place in the lodge. In this case, students also discussed intensely the role of the team and collaboration on the success of their invention.


Our Unique Site


The Bras d‘Or Lake and watershed is a 3,566 km2 region of forest, freshwater and marine ecosystems in the centre of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada. As a UNESCO-designated Biosphere Reserve, one of the primary mandates of the Association is education. The Ben Eoin ski hill, which opened in 1968, is nestled in the middle of the Biosphere Reserve, approximately 27 km. from Sydney. The chair lift boasts panoramic views of the East Bay, an excellent vantage point to deliver lessons about the geomorphology and origin of the Bras d’Or estuary. The hill is located in one of the remaining areas of climax Acadian forest which has been used extensively by the Mi’kmaq, the first peoples of Unama’ki (Cape Breton) for millennia.


GREEN TEACHER 113 Page 11


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