ALEX Resources

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (0) 1 :

1 ) Investigate the resulting motion of objects when forces of different strengths and directions act upon them (e.g., object being pushed, object being pulled, two objects colliding).

[SC2015] (0) 2 :

2 ) Use observations and data from investigations to determine if a design solution (e.g., designing a ramp to increase the speed of an object in order to move a stationary object) solves the problem of using force to change the speed or direction of an object.*

This lesson,"Tug of War!" is Day 3 in a series of lessons that help to explain how forces affect objects. In this lesson, students describe relative strengths and directions of the push or pull applied to a ball's movement.  Students will work in a whole group and then with a partner, sitting in a circle, to push and then receive a ball, with a flattened palm, from another student. Students will observe the "collision" of the ball and hand. They will then go outdoors or in the gym to kick the ball with the side of the foot to direct the ball in different directions. The ball will be stopped or redirected in the same way. Students will then pull a ball toward themselves and describe the difference in the push and pull of the ball. Students could play a "Kickball Game" to watch the "collision" of the ball. In Day 1, “Move It! students identify objects that can be moved and demonstrate how movement puts objects in motion. In Day 2, “Push Me, Pull You”  students demonstrate that objects can be moved by pushing or pulling them.

This lesson results from a collaboration between the Alabama State Department of Education and ASTA.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (0) 1 :

1 ) Investigate the resulting motion of objects when forces of different strengths and directions act upon them (e.g., object being pushed, object being pulled, two objects colliding).

This lesson, “Push Me, Pull You” is Day 2 in a series of lessons that help to explain how forces affect objects. In this lesson, students will work as a whole group and in pairs to investigate objects that push or pull other objects, or objects that must be pushed or pulled. As a group, the class will decide on a definition of "push" and "pull".  They will then go outdoors to identify and explore objects that can be pushed or pulled. They will demonstrate pushing and pulling on the playground by doing "push-ups" and "pull-ups" using playground equipment.  In Day 1, “Move It!”, students will identify objects that can be moved and demonstrate how movement puts objects in motion In Day 3, “Tug of War!” students describe relative strengths and directions of the push or pull applied to an object.

This lesson results from a collaboration between the Alabama State Department of Education and ASTA.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (0) 1 :

1 ) Investigate the resulting motion of objects when forces of different strengths and directions act upon them (e.g., object being pushed, object being pulled, two objects colliding).

In this hands-on investigation, students will demonstrate how forces have an effect on objects. This lesson, “Move It!” is Day 1 in a series of lessons that help to explain how forces affect objects.  Students will identify objects that can be moved and demonstrate how movement puts objects in motion. In Day 2, “Push Me, Pull You”, students demonstrate that objects can be moved by pushing or pulling them. On Day 3, “Tug of War!”, students describe relative strengths and directions of the push or pull applied to an object.

This lesson results from a collaboration between the Alabama State Department of Education and ASTA.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (0) 1 :

1 ) Investigate the resulting motion of objects when forces of different strengths and directions act upon them (e.g., object being pushed, object being pulled, two objects colliding).

This lesson will engage students in the ways an object can move by applying the forces of push and pull. Students will investigate how to make an object move faster, slower, and stop.

This lesson results from a collaboration between the Alabama State Department of Education and ASTA.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (0) 1 :

1 ) Investigate the resulting motion of objects when forces of different strengths and directions act upon them (e.g., object being pushed, object being pulled, two objects colliding).

[PE] (1) 20 :

1-2.3) Demonstrate the difference between strong and light force.

APE accommodation suggestions: Verbal prompting; use directional poly spots.

[PE] (2) 20 :

2-2.3) Recognize and adjust exertion of force on an object required during an activity.

APE accommodation suggestions: Verbal prompting; use directional poly spots.

Grover knows all about force. Grover uses force every day and is a force expert. What? You don't know what force is? Force is the pushing and pulling you use to move things. When do you use force? This video can be used as an introduction to a lesson on force and to demonstrate from the scenes in the video the difference between strong and light force. 

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (0) 1 :

1 ) Investigate the resulting motion of objects when forces of different strengths and directions act upon them (e.g., object being pushed, object being pulled, two objects colliding).

In these Hero Elementary activities, children explore the ways that a strong push or a weak push makes an object move. They investigate how fast an object moves after a strong push or a weak push. As children observe different types of pushes and pulls, they discover that objects move in different directions. This collection includes a video and two learning activities. 

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (0) 1 :

1 ) Investigate the resulting motion of objects when forces of different strengths and directions act upon them (e.g., object being pushed, object being pulled, two objects colliding).

In these Hero Elementary activities, children explore the science of the way things move with a push or a pull. They discover that a push or a pull can move an object from one spot to another. They observe that objects move in many different ways with different pushes or pulls.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (0) 1 :

1 ) Investigate the resulting motion of objects when forces of different strengths and directions act upon them (e.g., object being pushed, object being pulled, two objects colliding).

In these Hero Elementary activities, children find ways to control how an object moves. They make objects move by pushing or pulling. They push with different amounts of strength, and they aim their pushes in different directions. They make their object bounce off other objects. They use cause-and-effect thinking, and they figure out how to move the object to reach a target.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (0) 1 :

1 ) Investigate the resulting motion of objects when forces of different strengths and directions act upon them (e.g., object being pushed, object being pulled, two objects colliding).

[SC2015] (0) 2 :

2 ) Use observations and data from investigations to determine if a design solution (e.g., designing a ramp to increase the speed of an object in order to move a stationary object) solves the problem of using force to change the speed or direction of an object.*

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (0) 1 :

1 ) Investigate the resulting motion of objects when forces of different strengths and directions act upon them (e.g., object being pushed, object being pulled, two objects colliding).

Use science inquiry to predict and investigate forces and motion to help rescue Ruff's plushie from the penguins' ice rink in this sports science game from The Ruff Ruffman Show. Students will apply the right amount of force on a cannon to move the plushie into the target space. 

This resource is part of The Ruff Ruffman Show Science Collection.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (0) 1 :

1 ) Investigate the resulting motion of objects when forces of different strengths and directions act upon them (e.g., object being pushed, object being pulled, two objects colliding).

[SC2015] (1) 3 :

3 ) Investigate materials to determine which types allow light to pass through (e.g., transparent materials such as clear plastic wrap), allow only partial light to pass through (e.g., translucent materials such as wax paper), block light (e.g., opaque materials such as construction paper), or reflect light (e.g., shiny materials such as aluminum foil).

[SC2015] (2) 5 :

5 ) Plan and carry out an investigation, using one variable at a time (e.g., water, light, soil, air), to determine the growth needs of plants.

[SC2015] (3) 2 :

2 ) Investigate, measure, and communicate in a graphical format how an observed pattern of motion (e.g., a child swinging in a swing, a ball rolling back and forth in a bowl, two children teetering on a see-saw, a model vehicle rolling down a ramp of varying heights, a pendulum swinging) can be used to predict the future motion of an object.

[SC2015] (4) 2 :

2 ) Plan and carry out investigations that explain transference of energy from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents.

a. Provide evidence that heat can be produced in many ways (e.g., rubbing hands together, burning leaves) and can move from one object to another by conduction.

b. Demonstrate that different objects can absorb, reflect, and/or conduct energy.

c. Demonstrate that electric circuits require a complete loop through which an electric current can pass.

[SC2015] (5) 2 :

2 ) Investigate matter to provide mathematical evidence, including graphs, to show that regardless of the type of reaction (e.g., new substance forming due to dissolving or mixing) or change (e.g., phase change) that occurs when heating, cooling, or mixing substances, the total weight of the matter is conserved.

[SC2015] ES6 (6) 8 :

8 ) Plan and carry out investigations that demonstrate the chemical and physical processes that form rocks and cycle Earth's materials (e.g., processes of crystallization, heating and cooling, weathering, deformation, and sedimentation).

A scientific theory is a proposed description, explanation, or model of something occurring in nature. These theories have to be testable so that scientists can use the scientific method to see if they work.

The classroom resource provides a video that will introduce students to the scientific method, developing hypotheses, and collecting evidence. There is a karaoke song that students can learn to help them remember the steps in the scientific method. Students can use the information presented in this video to follow the scientific method as they plan their own investigations. There is also a short test that can be used to assess students' understanding. 

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (0) 1 :

1 ) Investigate the resulting motion of objects when forces of different strengths and directions act upon them (e.g., object being pushed, object being pulled, two objects colliding).

[SC2015] (1) 3 :

3 ) Investigate materials to determine which types allow light to pass through (e.g., transparent materials such as clear plastic wrap), allow only partial light to pass through (e.g., translucent materials such as wax paper), block light (e.g., opaque materials such as construction paper), or reflect light (e.g., shiny materials such as aluminum foil).

[SC2015] (3) 2 :

2 ) Investigate, measure, and communicate in a graphical format how an observed pattern of motion (e.g., a child swinging in a swing, a ball rolling back and forth in a bowl, two children teetering on a see-saw, a model vehicle rolling down a ramp of varying heights, a pendulum swinging) can be used to predict the future motion of an object.

[SC2015] (4) 2 :

2 ) Plan and carry out investigations that explain transference of energy from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents.

a. Provide evidence that heat can be produced in many ways (e.g., rubbing hands together, burning leaves) and can move from one object to another by conduction.

b. Demonstrate that different objects can absorb, reflect, and/or conduct energy.

c. Demonstrate that electric circuits require a complete loop through which an electric current can pass.

[SC2015] (5) 2 :

2 ) Investigate matter to provide mathematical evidence, including graphs, to show that regardless of the type of reaction (e.g., new substance forming due to dissolving or mixing) or change (e.g., phase change) that occurs when heating, cooling, or mixing substances, the total weight of the matter is conserved.

[SC2015] ES6 (6) 8 :

8 ) Plan and carry out investigations that demonstrate the chemical and physical processes that form rocks and cycle Earth's materials (e.g., processes of crystallization, heating and cooling, weathering, deformation, and sedimentation).

Scientists are always working to better understand the world. They use the scientific method to help them. The scientific method includes making observations, developing hypotheses, designing experiments, collecting data, and then drawing conclusions.

The classroom resource provides a video that will introduce students to the scientific method and experimentation. There is a karaoke song that students can learn to help them remember the steps in the scientific method. Students can use the information presented in this video to follow the scientific method as they plan their own investigations. There is also a short test that can be used to assess students' understanding.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (0) 1 :

1 ) Investigate the resulting motion of objects when forces of different strengths and directions act upon them (e.g., object being pushed, object being pulled, two objects colliding).

[SC2015] (1) 3 :

3 ) Investigate materials to determine which types allow light to pass through (e.g., transparent materials such as clear plastic wrap), allow only partial light to pass through (e.g., translucent materials such as wax paper), block light (e.g., opaque materials such as construction paper), or reflect light (e.g., shiny materials such as aluminum foil).

[SC2015] (2) 5 :

5 ) Plan and carry out an investigation, using one variable at a time (e.g., water, light, soil, air), to determine the growth needs of plants.

[SC2015] (3) 2 :

2 ) Investigate, measure, and communicate in a graphical format how an observed pattern of motion (e.g., a child swinging in a swing, a ball rolling back and forth in a bowl, two children teetering on a see-saw, a model vehicle rolling down a ramp of varying heights, a pendulum swinging) can be used to predict the future motion of an object.

[SC2015] (4) 2 :

2 ) Plan and carry out investigations that explain transference of energy from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents.

a. Provide evidence that heat can be produced in many ways (e.g., rubbing hands together, burning leaves) and can move from one object to another by conduction.

b. Demonstrate that different objects can absorb, reflect, and/or conduct energy.

c. Demonstrate that electric circuits require a complete loop through which an electric current can pass.

[SC2015] (5) 2 :

2 ) Investigate matter to provide mathematical evidence, including graphs, to show that regardless of the type of reaction (e.g., new substance forming due to dissolving or mixing) or change (e.g., phase change) that occurs when heating, cooling, or mixing substances, the total weight of the matter is conserved.

[SC2015] ES6 (6) 8 :

8 ) Plan and carry out investigations that demonstrate the chemical and physical processes that form rocks and cycle Earth's materials (e.g., processes of crystallization, heating and cooling, weathering, deformation, and sedimentation).

When scientists conduct experiments, they collect data through observation and measurement. There are many different ways to measure data, but they all help ensure that scientists can collect accurate information.

The classroom resource provides a karaoke song that will describe how scientists collect data as they experiment. Students can use the information presented in this audio resource as they plan their own investigations. There is also a short test that can be used to assess students' understanding. 

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (0) 1 :

1 ) Investigate the resulting motion of objects when forces of different strengths and directions act upon them (e.g., object being pushed, object being pulled, two objects colliding).

[SC2015] (0) 2 :

2 ) Use observations and data from investigations to determine if a design solution (e.g., designing a ramp to increase the speed of an object in order to move a stationary object) solves the problem of using force to change the speed or direction of an object.*

Learn about motion, forces, and sources of energy as you direct a train to the finish line in Rail Rally from Dinosaur Train.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (0) 1 :

1 ) Investigate the resulting motion of objects when forces of different strengths and directions act upon them (e.g., object being pushed, object being pulled, two objects colliding).

[SC2015] (0) 2 :

2 ) Use observations and data from investigations to determine if a design solution (e.g., designing a ramp to increase the speed of an object in order to move a stationary object) solves the problem of using force to change the speed or direction of an object.*

[SC2015] (3) 1 :

1 ) Plan and carry out an experiment to determine the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object using one variable at a time, including number, size, direction, speed, position, friction, or air resistance (e.g., balanced forces pushing from both sides on an object, such as a box, producing no motion; unbalanced force on one side of an object, such as a ball, producing motion), and communicate these findings graphically.

Introduce your children to the concepts of physical science, specifically motion and stability: forces and interactions with this game from The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! Nick and Sally are testing out the newest slides in Frictionarium. By changing a slide's height and texture, kids will engage in cause and effect as they race with Thing 1 and Thing 2.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (0) 1 :

1 ) Investigate the resulting motion of objects when forces of different strengths and directions act upon them (e.g., object being pushed, object being pulled, two objects colliding).

Little Ioda is like a reading machine who has to work quickly to save the day. Enjoy videos and games about simple machines as you learn to find the main idea from text clues or details and to ask and answer questions about non-fiction text.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (0) 1 :

1 ) Investigate the resulting motion of objects when forces of different strengths and directions act upon them (e.g., object being pushed, object being pulled, two objects colliding).

[SC2015] (3) 1 :

1 ) Plan and carry out an experiment to determine the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object using one variable at a time, including number, size, direction, speed, position, friction, or air resistance (e.g., balanced forces pushing from both sides on an object, such as a box, producing no motion; unbalanced force on one side of an object, such as a ball, producing motion), and communicate these findings graphically.

Anytime there is a change in motion, force is the responsible party. It has to overcome inertia to act on an object. Inertia keeps an object either sitting still or moving at a constant speed.

The classroom resource provides a video that will introduce the concepts of force, motion, and inertia. This resource can provide background information for students before they conduct their own investigations. There is also a short test that can be used to assess students' understanding.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (0) 1 :

1 ) Investigate the resulting motion of objects when forces of different strengths and directions act upon them (e.g., object being pushed, object being pulled, two objects colliding).

[SC2015] (3) 1 :

1 ) Plan and carry out an experiment to determine the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object using one variable at a time, including number, size, direction, speed, position, friction, or air resistance (e.g., balanced forces pushing from both sides on an object, such as a box, producing no motion; unbalanced force on one side of an object, such as a ball, producing motion), and communicate these findings graphically.

Use this game from The Ruff Ruffman Show to help children learn motion and stability: forces and interactions through physical science. Use the engineering design process to build, test, and redesign structures to help the hungry hamsters reach their food.

This resource is part of The Ruff Ruffman Show Science Collection.