Unit Plan 9 (Grade K Science): Forces — Quarter Synthesis

Focus: Explain pushes and pulls, how strength and direction change motion (speed/distance), and how engineers test designs to see if they work as intended.

Grade Level: K

Subject Area: Science (Physical Science • Engineering Design)

Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 30–45 minutes per session

I. Introduction

This quarter-synthesis unit brings together everything students have explored about forces and motion. Students revisit how pushes and pulls make objects move, how changing the strength or direction of a push/pull changes what happens, and how ramps can change speed and distance. They also take on a simple engineering challenge: create and test a motion tool (like a pusher, launcher, guide, or ramp helper) and use data to decide if their design works as intended.

Essential Questions

• How do pushes and pulls make objects move?
• How does the strength or direction of a push/pull change an object’s speed or distance?
• How can we test a design to see if it works the way we want it to?
• How do scientists and engineers use observations and data to explain motion?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Describe and demonstrate that pushes and pulls can start, stop, speed up, slow down, or change the direction of an object (K-PS2-1).
2. Plan and carry out simple tests comparing different strengths and directions of pushes/pulls and record results using pictures, tallies, or simple numbers (K-PS2-1).
3. Use simple data to explain patterns (e.g., “stronger push → farther travel”) and make a class claim about motion (K-PS2-1).
4. Build and test a design solution that changes the speed or direction of an object using a push or pull (K-PS2-2).
5. Compare two designs that solve the same motion problem and describe which works better and why (K-2-ETS1-3).

Standards Alignment — Kindergarten (NGSS-Aligned)

• K-PS2-1 — Plan and conduct an investigation to compare the effects of different strengths or different directions of pushes and pulls on the motion of an object.
• K-PS2-2 — Analyze data to determine if a design solution works as intended to change the speed or direction of an object with a push or a pull.
• K-2-ETS1-1 — Ask questions, make observations, and gather information to define a simple problem that can be solved with a new or improved object or tool.
• K-2-ETS1-2 — Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function to solve a problem.
• K-2-ETS1-3 — Analyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same problem to compare strengths and weaknesses.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can show how a push or pull makes something move.
• I can tell how a stronger push/pull can make an object go faster or farther.
• I can show how changing direction changes where an object goes.
• I can build a tool that helps an object move the way I want and test it.
• I can use what I saw (my data) to say if my design worked and how to make it better.