Motion on an inclined plane and the nature of science

Friction is an important phenomenon in everyday life. All children are familiar with playground slides, which may thus be a good starting point for investigating friction. Motion on an inclined plane is a standard physics example. This paper presents an investigation of friction by a group of 11-year olds. How did they plan their investigations? What aspects of friction could they discern? What understanding of the nature of science was revealed—and developed—during their investigation and subsequent discussion with the teacher