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Before long, father found mother and Polly and Peter. He saw the children's balloons. He heard the story of the bunch that went up in the air.

Then he said, "Now, before we have our luncheon, I will take you to the merry-go-round. Have you heard the music? Do you wish a ride?"

"Oh, yes, yes!" cried Polly and Peter dancing up and down.

Do you know what a merry-go-round is? If you do not, look at the picture. It will show you.

Peter and Polly had ridden on one just twice before. Then they had liked it very much.

Peter chose a black horse and Polly chose a gray one. They were side by side. Father sat on one behind these two. Many other people sat on other horses.

At last the music started. The horses started, too. All moved around in a circle. It was quite a large circle, but not so large as a circus ring.

Faster and faster the horses went. Polly and Peter held on with both hands. Around and around the circle they flew. Oh, what fun it was!

Then the music stopped. The horses slowed down. The people climbed off the horses, and it was over.

"I should like to ride again," said Peter. "Does it cost much?"

"Five cents apiece," said father. "Perhaps we can have one more ride after luncheon. Come now, it is time to eat."

The luncheon was taken to a shady place and opened. How good everything looked! How good everything tasted!

Father said, "While we eat, I will tell you a story. Then we shall not hurry. This is a true story. It happened to me, when I was a little boy.

"One day my father took me to the fair. He showed me the same things that I have shown you. He let me ride on the horses. He gave me a drink of lemonade."

"Oh," said Peter, "I wish that you would get us some lemonade."

"The kind that Polly sells is better than any we can buy at the fair," said father.

"Let us wait until we get home. Here is plenty of cold water."

"Please go on, father," said Polly. "What else did you do at the fair? Were there horse races?"

"Yes," said father. "After luncheon, we shall see horse races just like them. We will sit in the grandstand. Then we can see very well. Yes, when my father took me to the fair, I saw horse races.

"I was about as old as Peter, then. In the afternoon, I began to be very tired. My father said that he would take me home. But first he wished to go into one more place.

"This was a very large building. In it were all kinds of things. These had been made by different people. There were bedspreads and quilts hanging up. There were all kinds of fancy work.

"The only things which pleased me were the things to eat. There were many counters and show cases filled with bread, cookies, cake, pies, and candy.

"My father lifted me up in his arms so that I could look into one showcase. He began to talk with the woman who stood behind the case. He did not see what I was doing.

"I told you that I was very tired. I just leaned out of my father's arms and rested my arms on the glass at the top of the case.

"Crack, crack, crack went that glass. I had leaned so hard that I had broken it.

"The woman who owned it was very angry. She was quite cross to me. But my father told her that he would pay for it at once. As soon as he did, she cut a cake and gave me a large piece.

"When we got home, I heard my father telling your Grandmother Howe about it. He told her that he thought he had paid for the cake the woman gave us, because she had charged him so much for the glass."

"That is a good story, father," said Polly. "I like stories about when you were a little boy. I am sorry that you broke the case. I hope you were not frightened."

"I was a little, Polly," said father. "Now, if you have finished your luncheon, we will have another ride on the merry-go-round. Then we must get good seats in the grandstand for the races."

Directions

Study the lesson for one week.

Over the week:

  • Read the story multiple times.
  • Review the synopsis.
  • Study the vocabulary words.
  • Learn the concepts.
  • Complete the enrichment activities.
  • Study the review questions.

Synopsis

Peter and Polly are at the fair. They ride on a merry-go-round, and the horses spin fast. Father tells them about his time at the fair as a boy. He leaned against a glass showcase, and the glass cracked. His father paid to replace the broken showcase.

Vocabulary

Showcase: A glass case used to display items in a store or museum.
Merry-go-round: A spinning machine with model horses or other animals on which people ride for fun.
Grandstand: The main seating area, usually roofed, for spectators at fairs, racetracks, or sports stadiums.
Horse Races: A race between two or more horses ridden by jockeys.
Quilt: A bed covering of padding and fabric stitched in decorative designs.
Bedspread: A decorative cloth used to cover a bed.

Concepts

Have you ever ridden a merry-go-round like Peter and Polly in the story? Merry-go-rounds move fast! If you don't hold on tight, you might fall off.

The force you apply with your hands to stay on the merry-go-round (or to keep spinning in a circle in the enrichment activity) is called centripetal force.

  1. A 'force' changes the movement of an object.
  2. You must apply a force to move a stationary (not moving) object.
  3. You must also apply a force to stop a moving object.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Narrate the Story

  • After reading or listening to the story, narrate the story events aloud using your own words.

Activity 2: Explore Forces

Objective:

Experiment with different forces to change the movement of objects.

Materials:

Toy that rolls (car, ball), smooth surface.

Procedure:

Experiment 1: Apply a Force to Move an Object

  • Place a toy that rolls (car, ball) on a table or level, smooth surface.
  • Push the toy to make it move.
  • When you push the toy, you exert a force that makes the toy move.

Experiment 2: Let the Force of Friction Stop a Moving Object

  • Place a toy that rolls (car, ball) on a table or level, smooth surface.
  • Push the toy to make it move and let it roll without touching it.
  • Watch the moving toy slow and eventually stop.
  • Why did the object stop all on its own? (Force of friction.)

Experiment 3: Apply a Force to Stop a Moving Object

  • Place a toy that rolls (car, ball) on a table or level, smooth surface.
  • Push the toy to make it move.
  • Use your hand to exert a force on the moving object to make it stop.

Experiment 4: Make Your Own Merry-Go-Round

  • In a cleared, safe area, clasp both hands with another person. Facing one another, spin in a circle.
  • (Don't do this!) What would happen if you suddenly let go from your partner while spinning quickly?
  • The force you and your partner apply with your hands to keep your bodies moving in a circle while spinning is called centripetal force.
  • This is the same force Peter and Polly applied to the merry-go-ground to keep from falling off.

Review

Question 1

What do Peter and Polly ride at the fair?
1 / 4

Answer 1

Peter and Polly ride a merry-go-round at the fair.
1 / 4

Question 2

What is a horse race?
2 / 4

Answer 2

A horse race is a race between two or more horses ridden by jockeys.
2 / 4

Question 3

What happened when Peter and Polly's father leaned on the glass showcase?
3 / 4

Answer 3

The glass showcase broke.
3 / 4

Question 4

What keeps people from flying off moving merry-go-rounds?
4 / 4

Answer 4

The force people apply with their hands, called centripetal force, keeps people from flying off moving merry-go-rounds
4 / 4

  1. What do Peter and Polly ride at the fair? Peter and Polly ride a merry-go-round at the fair.
  2. What is a horse race? A horse race is a race between two or more horses ridden by jockeys.
  3. What happened when Peter and Polly's father leaned on the glass showcase? The glass showcase broke.
  4. What keeps people from flying off moving merry-go-rounds? The force people apply with their hands, called centripetal force, keeps people from flying off moving merry-go-rounds

References

  1. 'Centripetal force.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.

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