'Da Ar Yr Iâ' - About this site
Horrible Horas ab Afiach has captured the cows from the fields and set them to work in his ice cream factory. Help Seren, Roci, Dr. Mww and Del to rescue their friend, Lowri from the crisis!
Use your knowledge about friction and forces to lead the courageous crew of snowboarding cows through the factory, and help release the captive cattle.
Cows ... to the rescue!
'Da Ar Yr Iâ' (Cows on Ice) is a physics resource for pupils aged 7-11, Key Stage 2. It introduces friction forces and push forces in an engaging way that is accessible to a broad range of learners.
The player must decide on the amount of force necessary to push the cow from the spring at the beginning of the task, understand the amount of slippage needed on the ice surface, and control the wind strength to reach the target in each room.
The learning progression in the game sees the player introduced to different concepts:
a) how stationary objects are moved by force
b) how moving objects are slowed down
c) how different surfaces alter the friction force.
By using prediction and reasoning skills, the player will succeed in landing the characters on the target.
The full game option allows players to watch the story animation, then choose their own difficulty level:
Easy level
- In easy mode players can only change one thing at a time.
- They can either change the roughness of the surface or the amount of push that starts the character moving.
Medium level
- In medium mode the player can change two out of a choice of three things.
- These include the surface friction, the force of the spring that starts the character moving, as well as the strength of the fans.
Hard level
- In hard mode the player must change two or three variables.
- The three variables are the surface friction, the force of the spring that pushes the character, and the power of the fans.
Additionally, there is a section that allows the players to create their own levels.
Create your own puzzle
- Players have to use their knowledge of friction and forces, as well as their creativity, prediction and reasoning to create a brand new puzzle.
- The players can use springs, fans and slopes to build their puzzle.
- You can encourage the players to share their creations with others and pose challenges to their peers.
Talking about the decisions taken in 'Da Ar Yr Iâ' can be done as a group activity.
After playing the game, try pulling some different objects such as an old boot and a rubber ball across a tray. What difference is there? What happens if you add a lubricant such as washing-up liquid or cooking oil?
Audio and Visual help
Click on the 'Cymorth Clyweledol' button to:
- change on-screen text and background colours
- make captions available for video and audio content.
These preferences are not accessible while you are in the Information section.
You can also navigate most of the content by using the keyboard.
© 2014
bbc.co.uk/cymru