In this lesson, students will work in groups to design a ramp to increase the speed of a ball. The teacher will guide students' work through careful questioning. After creating different ramps, students will record and report their findings to the class.
This lesson results from the ALEX Resource Gap Project.
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.
In these Hero Elementary activities, children investigate what makes objects easier or more difficult to move. They try to build structures that are well-balanced and don’t fall down, and they test their structures with a push.
Learn about motion, forces, and sources of energy as you direct a train to the finish line in Rail Rally from Dinosaur Train.
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.
Simple machines decrease the force, or effort, needed to lift and move heavy objects. There are several different types of simple machines, including levers, wheels and axles, pulleys, inclined planes, wedges, and screws.
The classroom resource provides a slide show that will explain the different types of simple machines and how they work. 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.
Children explore reusing and recycling materials, and wind power, in this lesson plan featuring hands-on activities and a video excerpt from Curious George. They begin by watching a video in which Curious George gathers trash to help clean up the city streets and discovers that he can create something special with his found treasures. Children then use recycled materials to build toy boats that can sail. They discuss ways to make objects move with wind, then use child-generated wind power to move their boats in water. They conclude by sharing their boats with each other and brainstorming other ways in which they could recycle materials in the classroom.
This lesson is part of the Curious George STEM Collection.
