Predict how objects will change direction with a push or pull

General

Good scientists understand how things happen around them. They are able to make connections between the ideas they learn and real life! Students will learn about force and motion, specifically the direction of motion caused by a push or a pull. They will also learn how to make predictions about which direction something will move towards based on the type of forces applied to it. This lesson includes various activities that will allow them to practice identifying a push versus pull force and predicting the direction an object will go. It also includes a printable worksheet.

Standards

K-PS2-1

Learning Objective

Students will be able to predict how objects will change direction with a push or pull.

Introduction

Have students engage in a turn and talk or pose to all students the scenario/question presented on slide 2, and allow students to share ideas as a whole group. Then, explain to students that the common expectation of “pushing their chair in,” to go underneath their desk neatly, is a type of force and that we will be learning about forces today!

Instruction

Teach students about force and motion. Then, define the types of forces they will learn about today: push and pull. Explain to students that we can make predictions about the direction of an object based on the direction of the force. Afterward, students can engage in the following activities:

First, students watch a video about push and pull forces. After watching the video, they can engage in a discussion and answer the question prompts provided. Next, students can practice identifying the type of force with given activities (in the form of pictures and words) where they drag and sort the activity by “push” or “pull.” Then, students continue to practice identifying types of forces by studying images within a scene while reading descriptions about the events, and then dragging "push" and "pull" labels to label each action by the type of force applied to the objects. After that, students may complete two activity slides where they can identify the type of force in a given action by checking off the force and then predicting the direction of the object as a result of the force by drawing an arrow directly onto the picture.

Finally, students practice predicting the direction of an object by clicking on the spinner, drawing a picture of the scenario, then drawing an arrow to show the direction that the object would go. This activity can be done multiple times in order to allow students to practice multiple examples on the spinner.

Quiz

Students respond to ten multiple-choice questions about force, motion, and making predictions of the direction of objects as a result of a push or pull force.

Closing

Students will determine what force is applied in a given image and scenario. They will check off the type of force. Then, they will determine the direction the object will go and check off the arrow that points in the predicted direction.