Force

Topic: Understanding how forces can make objects move

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will be able to explain how forces can make objects move, and describe how the size and direction of a force can affect the motion of an object.Topic: Understanding how forces can make objects move

Materials

• Car or toy that can be propelled by a small motor (e.g. a remote-controlled car or boat)
• Small cart to hold the car or toy
• String or a thin rope
• A device for giving small manual pushes (e.g. a small wooden stick or ruler)
• A whiteboard and markers or pens for students to record their ideas and observations

Warm-up

• Show the students the car or toy and the cart. Ask them to think about how the car or toy might be moved by the motor.
• Allow the students to try pushing the car or toy with the small manual pushes, and see if they can get the car or toy to move along the floor.
• As a class, discuss the different ways that the car or toy might be moving, and what might be causing the different movements.

Direct Instruction

• Show the students the different parts of the motor and explain what each one does.
• Explain how the motor is connected to the wheels and how it causes them to turn, which then causes the car or toy to move.
• Discuss how different types of motors might cause different types of movements (e.g. a motor with a lot of power might be able to move the car or toy faster, while a motor with less power might have to work harder to move the car or toy farther).

Guided Practice

• Have the students work in pairs to experiment with different types of motors and see how they affect the movement of a car or toy.
• Give them a variety of different types of motors to work with and have them try each one to see how it affects the movement of the car or toy.
• Encourage them to think about the power of the motor, how it is connected to the wheels, and how this might affect the movement of the car or toy.
• After trying out the different motors, have the students share their findings with the class and discuss how the different motors they tried affected the movement of the car or toy.

Independent Practice

• Have the students work in groups to build a car or toy using only materials found in the classroom.
• Provide them with some motors to use, and have them use these to power their car or toy.
• Encourage them to be creative and to use the materials they have to build a functional car or toy that moves in a controlled way.
• After building their cars or toys, have the students test them and share their results with the class.

Closure

• Review the concepts of force and motion that were discussed during the lesson.
• Ask the students to share their builds and how they used forces to make them move in a controlled way.
• Encourage the students to ask questions and to think about how they can use forces to control the motion of objects in different situations.

Assessment:

• Observe the students as they work in pairs to build a structure using gravity and a controlled force.
• Review the students' explanations of how forces helped the rockets move in their builds.
• Evaluate the students' ability to apply the concept of force and motion to different situations.