Name of teaching material
Magnetic Wall Marble Run
Japanese Page URL
*The description appears by hovering the cursor over the image.
| Target | Kindergarten and elementary school children |
|---|---|
| Disability category | visual impairment mentally challenged multiple disabilities |
| Teaching units / Applicable scenes | activities for independent living instruction of play pre-school education |
| Specific purposes |
The track pieces and goal box are magnetic, enabling marble run to be built even on a vertical surface such as magnet boards and blackboards. １. Putting the track pieces and goal box on magnet boards and blackboards in the entrance hall, homeroom, nursery, etc. helps children: ・ Understand how a marble run works by freely moving the tracks, building their original marble run and experiencing marble run ・ Become interested in marble run ・ Develop programming skills through attempts to arrange the tracks and position the goal box so that the marbles reach the goal and via realizing the relationship between the inclination, speed and sound 2. The magnetic wall marble run is a good practice for building an original 3D marble run, a crafts task for 4th graders. ・ As a practice for building a complex 3D course supported by a multiple pillars, children experience running marbles on tracks arranged in a 2.5D structure, which has no pillar elements. (See the PDF above for an original 3D marble run created by a 4th grader.) |
| Considerations for disability characteristics |
・ Magnets are installed to a side of the tracks. Therefore, the tracts are easy to attach to and remove from a magnet board. The marble run structure can be improved through trial and error. ・ To help blind children know that the marble successfully reached the goal, a bicycle bell was installed at the goal. The clear bell sound gives children the feeling of accomplishment. Single face corrugated cardboard was spread on parts of the tacks so that marbles make sound when they pass over the surface. To help children with visual impairment recognize marble movements by hearing, balls with bells inside can be used instead of marbles. |
| Expected effects and results | The marble run is a play-and-learn activity. It attracts children and encourages them to touch the pieces. Intentional presentation of the marble run, which allows children to freely operate, reproduce and improve, is expected to be effective in cultivating rich sensitivity in children with visual impairment, who tend to have insufficient visual and touching experiences, and help them opening the door to art. |
| How to use |
① Attach the goal box at the lower end of a magnet board. ② Attach one track piece with one end toward the goal. Adjust the inclination of the piece and the position of the goal so that the marble runs and hits the bell. (It is easier for beginners to assemble the tracks from the bottom to the top.) ③ Attach the second track piece so that a marble drops on the first track positioned in ②. ④ In a similar manner, attach and arrange the third, fourth and so on track pieces; and build the tracks gradually toward the top of the magnet board. * For beginners, start assembling marble run by using 2 to 4 track pieces. * Encourage children who have mastered assembling short marble run to challenge building a complicated track structure as the ones shown in the photos above. |
| Related teaching materials and information |
The original Magnetic Wall Marble Run was handmade using paper. Based on the Marble Run, Sanwa Manufacturing Co., Ltd. has manufactured a wooden set. Compared to the paper track pieces, the wooden pieces made using Aomori cypress are stronger and pleasant to touch. The sound that a marble (or ball) makes when rolling is also very beautiful. (See a photo in the PDF above.) |
| Useful for other students |
- Informant SATO Naoko, Drawing and Crafts Division, Elementary Department , Special Needs Education School for the Visually Impaired, University of Tsukuba
- Keywords marble run, manipulation, tactile, magnet
- Created 2025-02-05 15:25:19
- Updated 2025-02-05 15:25:19