eDoes Force Cause Motion?

Name: Veronica OLeary

Content Area/Subject: Force and Motion (Physical Science)

Grade: 2nd Grade

Duration: 1 hour

RATIONALE: This lesson will help students understand the concept of force and motion. This lesson is an introductory lesson on a
unit in force and motion. This lesson will give students the basic understanding of what force is and the two types of force: push and
pull. Students will be introduced to the concept that when an object is pushed or pulled, it causes motion. Motion is the movement of
an object from one position to another. The lesson will also introduce the vocabulary word position. This lesson will provide the
building blocks for learning about the three types of motion, balance, and simple machines.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE (S):
Formative Observation Standard: While doing an investigation using magnets, the students will observe, analyze, and
document at least five observations in their science packet regarding how force causes objects to move.
Content Standard: Given a picture sort, the students will categories various pictures of motion into two categories: push and
pull correctly four out of five times.
Content Standard: Using their observations and definitions, the students will analyze whether force causes motion in their
science packet.
Inquiry Standard: Using data and evidence collected during the investigations, the students will state an accurate claim and use
two pieces of evidence to justify it.
ASSESSMENT:
Formative Observation Assessment: The students ability to make clear and concise observations will be assessed on the five
documented observations in their science packet.
Content Assessment: The students ability to accurately categorize the various pictures of motion into two categories will be
determined by the picture sort they complete during the closure of the lesson.
Content Assessment: The students ability to analyze whether forces cause motion will be assessed through the claim they
write in their science packet.
Inquiry Assessment: The students ability to write an accurate claim will be assessed on their ability to use data to construct
explanations for their claim based on evidence written in their science packet.

PENNSYLVANIA STANDARDS:
3.2 Physical Sciences
3.2.1.B.1: Demonstrate various types of motion. Observe and describe how pushes and pulls change the motion of objects.
3.1 Biological Sciences
3.2.1.B7: Use data/evidence to construct explanations and understand that scientists develop explanations based on their
evidence and compare them with their current scientific knowledge.
What the teacher will do?

INTRODUCTION: Engage Question:

Does force cause motion?
1
Say, I am going to hand each
group a set of pictures. I want
you to sort these pictures
however you think is best. I am
going to give you five minutes
to complete this activity. Once
you have your pictures, you
may begin. Hand out pictures
to the five groups.
2
Say, It looks like each group is
about done with the sort. Leave
the sort as it is on your tables. I
am going to dismiss you by
groups to the carpet. Group one
please go to the table. Take a
picture of the sorts before
dismissing each table. Continue
until all the groups are at the
carpet.
3
Say, Today I have a very
important question that I need

What the students will do?

Differentiation
(Content, Process,
Product,
Environment)

Materials/Tech
nology Needed

Time
Need
ed

10
min
Sort the pictures into
groups. They will have free
reign to choose how to
group the pictures.

Move to the carpet when

their group is called.

Respond with a variety of

answers.

Tell students when

they have two
minutes, one
minute, and thirty
seconds left for the
activity.

For each
group: Push
and Pull
Picture Sort

PROCEDURES
1

your help to answer. Can force

cause motion? Now I know
those two words are vocabulary
you have not learned yet, but by
the end of this lesson, you will
know what they mean. Can
anyone tell me what they
believe force means? What do
you believe motion means? I
want you to take your best shot
at guessing what these words
mean. Write what students say
down on the board.
Say, These are some great
potential definitions. We are
going to do two experiments
today. By doing these
experiments, we are going to be
able to answer my really
important question: does force
cause motion? and you will be
able to tell anyone the
definition of these words.
Exploration
Say, The first experiment we
are going to do will teach us
about force. Like all scientist,
we simply cannot just do an
experiment. We need to make
observations while doing it. An
observation is when you write
down what you see in an
experiment. During your

Come up and grab their

science packet, clipboard,
and pencil. Sit back down
on carpet with partner.

Partners pre-chosen
to be
heterogeneously
grouped with low
and high level
students.

15
min

experiment, you are going to

write down five observations on
what you see. You will write
them down in your science
packet. You are going to do this
experiment in partners. When I
call you and your partner, you
are going to come up here and
grab your science packet, a
clipboard, and a pencil. Then sit
back down with your partner.
Call students up by group. See
attached sheet.
Say, For the first experiment,
Respond, Five
you are going to get a magnet
and two trains. Your goal is to
try and figure out how to make
the trains move without
touching them. You may only
touch the magnet. How many
observations are you going to
write down in your science
packet?
Say, Exactly! On the first page
of your science packet, you will
make your five observations. If
you want, you can make more
than that, but you need at least
five. Since you have not written
observations with me yet, let
me give you an example of
what an observation should
look like. If I were make an

observation on the trains, I

would write down what I see
when I put the magnet close to
the train. You are going to get
fifteen minutes to explore and
complete this investigation.
You need to write your five
observations neatly because you
will need to read them later in
the lesson.
Say, When I call you and your
partner, you will both come up
here and get your magnet and
two trains. You may work
anywhere in the room. Once
you have your trains, you may
begin. Hand out trains.
Explanation
Say, Let us move back to the
carpet in 10,9continue count
down.
Say, Now that you have your
observations, let us analyze
them to figure out what they
mean. Can anyone tell me one
of your observations? Write
observations on board.
Continue until there are many
observations on the board.
Say, When I am looking at this
board, I see two patterns. It
looks like we can categorize all
of these observations under two

With partners come up and

get materials. Go to a spot
in the room. Try to move
train with only the magnet.
Write down five
observations.
Move back to the carpet.

Give teacher their

observations.

Tell teacher what category

the observation should go
under: push or pull.

Tell students when

they have five
minutes, two
minutes, one
minute, and thirty
seconds left for the
activity.

Experiment 1:
-Magnets
-Two trains

20
min

categories: pushing and pulling.

Let us look at each observation
and decide what category they
should go under. Let us look at
this first observation. What
category should it go under:
Push or pull? Continue until
all are in a category.
Say, Let us look at our
definition of force again. We
said it was [insert definition
here]. Using the observations
we made during our experiment
on force. When you moved the
trains, you were adding force to
them. What can we add or
change to our definition?
Say, If I were to make a
definition using these
observations, I would say that
force can be either a push or a
pull. If you turn your packet to
the definitions page, you will
see four boxes. The first box
says force. I want you to write
down that force is either a push
or a pull in that box. Write on
board as students write in
journal.
Say, On those sheets there are
also boxes for push and pull.
Looking at the examples under
each category, how can we

Students give a variety of

answers.

Write definition of force in

journal.

Provide various potential

definitions.

8
1

4
5

describe push? Write on board.

Say, The definition of push is
to make something move away
from you. How can we describe
pull? Write on board.
Say, I want you to write down
the definition of push and pull
in the boxes in science packet.
Elaboration
Say, Now we are going to use
what we learned about force
and see if we can figure out
what motion is.
Say, When you did the
experiment with the magnets
and the trains we used force to
either pull the train closer or
push the train farther away. By
pushing and pulling the train we
caused motion.
Say, Let us do another
experiment. Everyone stand up.
Leave everything where you are
sitting and go stand behind your
chair.
Say, What type of force did we
say makes something move
toward you?
Say, Good. Pull your chair
toward you. Now what type of
force did we say makes
something move away form
you?

Provide various potential

definitions.
Write down definitions.
10
min

Stand up and stand behind

their chair.

Respond, Pull.
Respond Push.

Chairs

Closure
1

Say, Perfect! Now push your

chair away from you. Now put
your hands in the air. What
happens to the chair?
Say, Good. Now come back to
the carpet. When we pushed the
chair and when we pulled the
chair, we created motion.
However, when we simply put
our hands in the air, we did not
create motion. So using the
small experiment we just did,
what is motion?
Say, Motion is when you
move an object from one
position to another position. I
want you to write that definition
in your science packet as I write
it on the board.
Explain
Say, now that we have that
definition written down, we are
going to go back to the tables.
Take your packet, clipboard,
and pencil with you. Will
Group one go back and take a
seat? Continue for all tables.
Ask, I want you to look at the
sort we started with. Can you
sort these pictures into two
categories: push and pull.
The last thing I want you to do
is turn in your packet to the last

Put hands in air. Respond

nothing.
Come back to carpet.
Various definitions of
motion.

Write definition in the

science packet.

Move back to tables.

Sort pictures into two

categories.
Answer question on last
page.

5
min

Give a one minute

and thirty second
warning before
transitioning.

page. I want you to answer the

question: Does force cause
motion? You need to use
evidence to back up your
answer. That means that you
cannot simply say yes or no.
You need to tell me why by
using two different observations
you made throughout the entire
lesson. When you are finished
answering the question, put
your packet into the finished
bin in the back of the room. I
am going to come around and
collect the sorting activity.
ACCOMMODATIONS/MODIFICATIONS:
I will give students a warning before transitioning to the next activity. Depending on the length of the activity, I will give a twominute, one-minute, or thirty-second warning. I will also partner the students into heterogeneous partners. I will pair low level
students with high level students and make sure to try to put students into partners they will have the least chance of getting distracted
with.
LESSON EXTENSION:
If the lesson finished early, the students can play Force and Motion Road Trip. The students will roll the dice. Depending on the
number they roll will determine the amount of spaces they move. If they land on a space that says, Pick a Card the student will pick
a card and answer the question on the card. Examples of the questions include: what are the two types of force?, name something you
can push, name something you can push, etc. If the student answers correctly, they can move their piece to that spot. If not, they
cannot move forward. The first student to the finish line wins. There can be up to four players per game.
PRE-ASSESSMENT:
Students will be pre-assessed using the push and pull picture sort at the beginning of the lesson.
CONNECTIONS BEYOND THE LESSON:

Students will create a song to remember force, motion, push, and pull. They will record this song on the mac computers and share
them to the class.
CITATION:
View standards. (2013). Retrieved March 21, 2014, from http://static.pdesas.org/content/documents/PreK2_Science_and_Technology_Standards.pdf