Unit Plan 8 (PreK Science): Motion Engineering – Build a Ramp
PreK engineering unit where children design, test, and improve ramps to help objects move farther or faster using simple data, fair tests, and hands-on exploration.
Focus: Create and improve a simple ramp design so an object (toy car/ball) can move farther or faster by building, testing, and improving with child-friendly data.
Grade Level: PreK
Subject Area: Science (Physical Science • Engineering Design)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 30–45 minutes per session (use two short blocks if needed)
I. Introduction
Children become “motion engineers” as they explore how a ramp can help objects roll and slide. Through play-based building and simple testing routines, children discover that changing height, surface, or shape can change how far or how fast something moves. They practice child-friendly engineering habits: naming a problem (“We want it to go farther”), choosing materials, trying it out, noticing what happened, and making a change to improve the design.
Essential Questions
- How can we build a ramp that helps an object move farther or faster?
- What happens when we change the height or surface of a ramp?
- How do we do a fair test so we can compare two ramps?
- How can we use what we notice (our data) to improve a design?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Identify a simple design goal for motion (make it go farther or faster) using child-friendly language.
- Build a ramp using classroom materials and explain what the ramp is supposed to do.
- Test a ramp in the same way each time (same object, same start spot) to compare results.
- Record results using simple marks, pictures, or a class chart (how far it went / where it stopped).
- Make at least one change to improve the ramp after testing and explain why they changed it.
Standards Alignment — PreK (NGSS-based custom)
- PK-ETS1-2 — Build and test simple structures using a variety of materials.
- Example: Build different ramps (cardboard, blocks, tubes) and test how a toy car moves.
- PK-ETS1-3 — Make changes to improve a design after testing.
- Example: After a ramp test, add a support, change the height, or switch the surface to make it work better.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can build a ramp to help my car/ball move.
- I can try my ramp the same way each time so it’s a fair test.
- I can tell if my object went farther or not as far.
- I can show my results with a picture, mark, or class chart (data).
- I can change my ramp to improve it and say why.