Unit Plan 3 (Grade K Science): Strength of Pushes
Kindergarten science unit where students investigate gentle vs strong pushes, test direction changes, and use fair tests and evidence to explain motion patterns.
Focus: Investigate how strong vs. gentle pushes affect an object’s speed and distance, and how changing the direction of a push changes motion.
Grade Level: K
Subject Area: Science (Physical Science • Inquiry/Skills)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 45–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
Students act like scientists as they explore how the strength of a push changes how an object moves. Using toy cars, balls, ramps, and simple measurement tools (cubes, paper strips, footsteps), they run classroom investigations comparing gentle pushes and strong pushes, and they observe how changing the direction of a push changes motion. Across the week, students learn to make careful observations, record results, and use evidence to explain patterns.
Essential Questions
- How does a strong push change the way an object moves compared to a gentle push?
- How does changing the direction of a push change where an object goes?
- How can we run a fair test so our results are trustworthy?
- What patterns can we notice when we test pushes again and again?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Describe and demonstrate the difference between a gentle push and a strong push.
- Plan and conduct an investigation comparing how different push strengths affect motion (speed and/or distance).
- Plan and conduct an investigation comparing how different push directions affect motion (straight, left/right turn, into/away from something).
- Record simple data (tallies, pictures, distance measured with cubes) and describe a pattern using evidence.
- Use evidence to explain: “When we push harder/stronger, the object usually ______.”
Standards Alignment — Grade K (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.
- Example: Compare how far a toy car travels with a gentle push vs. a strong push, keeping the starting point the same.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can show a gentle push and a strong push.
- I can test pushes in a fair way by keeping some things the same.
- I can tell what happened using evidence (what I saw and what I measured).
- I can explain a pattern like: “A stronger push usually makes it go ______.”
- I can use science words like push, direction, strong, gentle, and motion.