Lesson Overview
Students become "motion detectives" — observing, predicting, and testing how different forces affect the movement of everyday objects. Through hands-on exploration with ramps and toy vehicles, they build foundational understanding of pushes, pulls, and friction aligned to NGSS K-PS2.
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to:
- Identify pushes and pulls as types of forces
- Predict how changing the strength of a push or pull affects motion
- Investigate how surface texture (friction) changes how far an object travels
- Record observations using drawings and simple data tables
Lesson Phases (5E Model)
- 1Show a short video clip (or live demo) of a soccer ball being kicked and a shopping cart being pushed
- 2Ask: "What made these objects move?" — record responses on the board
- 3Introduce the word FORCE — explain it as a push or a pull
- 4Pose the driving question: "What happens to an object when you push it harder?"
📝 Teacher Notes
Accept all student responses. Listen for misconceptions (e.g., 'it moved by itself'). This phase sets up the inquiry.
Assessment Strategies
Formative (Observation)
Circulate during Explore phase; note which students can articulate cause-and-effect relationships
Formative (Exit Ticket)
3-question ticket at end of lesson; look for correct identification of push/pull and friction
Summative
Observation journal with labeled drawings submitted at end of unit
Extension Activities
- →Have students design their own experiment: "What else could you change about the ramp setup?"
- →Connect to engineering: Can students design a surface that maximizes or minimizes friction for a specific purpose?
- →Read-aloud: Forces Make Things Move by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
- →Digital: Use the Science Academy Virtual Lab to explore forces simulations
At a Glance
Grade BandGrades K-2
Duration45 min
Group SizePairs or small groups (2–4)
DifficultyBeginner
SubjectScience
Lesson Model5E Instructional Model
Materials
- Cardboard ramp (30–50 cm long)1 per group
- Small toy car or ball2 per group
- Books or blocks to prop ramp3–5 per group
- Sandpaper strip1 per group
- Aluminum foil strip1 per group
- Ruler or measuring tape1 per group
- Observation sheet / data table1 per student
- Crayons or markers1 set per group
Key Vocabulary
- Force
- A push or a pull that can make an object start moving, stop moving, or change direction
- Friction
- A force that slows objects down when two surfaces rub against each other
- Prediction
- A guess about what will happen based on what you already know
- Motion
- When an object moves from one place to another
Digital Tools
- →Science Academy Virtual Lab — Forces & Motion Sim
- →Science Academy Lesson: Forces in Action
