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Science Curriculum
Grade Three Unit Three
Motion & Matter
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Course Description
In unit one, students engage in an engineering challenge to develop habits of mind and classroom practices that will be reinforced throughout the school year. In unit two, students engage in four investigations dealing with big ideas in life science—plants and animals are organisms and exhibit a variety of strategies for life, organisms are complex and have a variety of observable structures and behaviors, organisms have varied but predictable life cycles and reproduce their own kind, and individual organisms have variations in their traits that may provide an advantage in surviving in the environment. Students observe, compare, categorize, and care for a selection of organisms. Students engage in science and engineering practices to investigate structures and behaviors of the organisms and learn how some of the structures function in growth and survival. Students look at the interactions between organisms of the same kind, among organisms of different kinds, and between the environment and populations over time. In unit three, students explore magnetism and gravity to look for patterns of motion to predict future motion. Students work with magnets and paper clips, wheel and- axle systems, paper air twirlers, and rotating tops. Students use their knowledge of science to enter the engineering design process and through the process refine their science understanding. Students use metric tools to refine observations by measuring mass and volume, they make mixtures and solutions to develop a foundational understanding of conservation of mass, and they observe a simple chemical reaction to extend their understanding of conservation. Students engage in science and engineering practices to collect data to answer questions, and to define problems in order to develop solutions. Students reflect on their own use of these practices and find out about how others use these practices in science and engineering careers. In unit four, students explore the properties of water, the water cycle and weather, interactions between water and other earth materials, and how humans use water as a natural resource. Students engage in science and engineering practices in the context of water, weather, and climate and explore the crosscutting concepts of patterns; cause and effect; scale, proportion, and quantity; and systems and system models. They are introduced to the nature of science, how science affects everyday life, and the influence of engineering, technology, and science on society and the natural world.
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Teachers may choose from a variety of instructional approaches that are aligned with 3 dimensional learning to achieve this goal. These approaches include:
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Pacing Chart This pacing chart is based upon 160 minutes of instruction per cycle.
Unit 1 Engineering Challenge 2 weeks
Unit 2 FOSS Structures of Life
11 weeks
Unit 3 FOSS Motion & Matter
11 weeks
Unit 4 Earth’s Weather & Climate 10 weeks
Culminating Projects 2 weeks
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Unit Summary In this unit of study, students are able to determine the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object. The crosscutting concepts of patterns and cause
and effect are identified as organizing concepts for these disciplinary core ideas. In the third-grade performance expectations, students are expected to demonstrate grade-
appropriate proficiency by planning and carrying out investigations. Students are expected to use these practices to demonstrate understanding of the core ideas.
Student Learning Objectives
Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object. [Clarification Statement: Examples could
include an unbalanced force on one side of a ball can make it start moving; and, balanced forces pushing on a box from both sides will not produce any motion at all.]
[Assessment Boundary: Assessment is limited to one variable at a time: number, size, or direction of forces. Assessment does not include quantitative force size, only
qualitative and relative. Assessment is limited to gravity being addressed as a force that pulls objects down.] (3-PS2-1)
Make observations and/or measurements of an object’s motion to provide evidence that a pattern can be used to predict future motion. [Clarification Statement: Examples
of motion with a predictable pattern could include a child swinging in a swing, a ball rolling back and forth in a bowl, and two children on a see-saw.] [Assessment
Boundary: Assessment does not include technical terms such as period and frequency.] (3-PS2-2)
Ask questions to determine cause and effect relationships of electric or magnetic interactions between two objects not in contact with each other. [Clarification Statement:
Examples of an electric force could include the force on hair from an electrically charged balloon and the electrical forces between a charged rod and pieces of paper;
examples of a magnetic force could include the force between two permanent magnets, the force between an electromagnet and steel paperclips, and the force exerted by
one magnet versus the force exerted by two magnets. Examples of cause and effect relationships could include how the distance between objects affects strength of the
force and how the orientation of magnets affects the direction of the magnetic force.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment is limited to forces produced by objects that can
be manipulated by students, and electrical interactions are limited to static electricity.(3-PS2-2)
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Define a simple design problem that can be solved by applying scientific ideas about magnets. [Clarification Statement: Examples of problems could include constructing a
latch to keep a door shut and creating a device to keep two moving objects from touching each other.](3-PS2-3)
Quick Links
Unit Sequence p. 2 What it Looks Like in the Classroom p. 3 Connecting with ELA/Literacy and Math p. 4 Modifications p. 4 Research on Learning p. 5 Prior
Learning p. 5 Future Learning p. 5 Connections to Other Units p. 6 Sample Open Education Resources p. 6 Teacher Professional Learning Resources p. 7
Appendix A: NGSS and Foundations p. 9
NJDOE Student Learning Objective
Essential Questions
Content Related to DCI’s Sample Activities Resources
Investigation 1, Part 1.
Forces
Students explore the
forces of magnetism
and gravity using
What happens
when magnets
interact with other
magnets and with
paper clips?
•Magnetic forces between objects does
not require that the objects be in
contact.
• The strength of the magnetic force
between objects depends on the
Benchmark Assessment
Students explore the forces of
magnetism and gravity. They
bring two magnets close to
each other and find that
sometimes the magnets pull
Teacher Prep Video
(FOSS)
Science Resources Book
"Magnetism and Gravity"
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magnets. Through their
investigations, students
find that both
magnetism and gravity
can pull, and
magnetism can
sometimes push as
well. Both forces can
make things move even
when not in direct
contact with another
object.
3-PS2-1; 3-PS2-2; 3-
PS2-3
properties of the object sand their
distance apart.
• The interaction between magnets
depends on their orientation
(sometimes they attract and sometimes
they repel).
• Unbalanced forces (pushes or pulls)
result in change of motion.
• Gravity is the force that pulls masses
toward the center of Earth.
each other together and
sometimes they push each
other away. Students recognize
that both magnetism and
gravity can pull, and
magnetism can sometimes
push as well. Both forces can
make things move even when
not in direct contact with
another object.
Investigation 1 - Magnetic
Force Checklist
Magnetic Force Activity Book
Magnetic Force Posters
Embedded Assessment
Response sheet
Post Test
What can magnets do?
"Change of Motion"
Video
All about Magnets
Online Activity
"Magnetic Poles"
Resources found in
Motions Folder
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Investigation 1, Part 2
Students refine their
investigations and their
abilities to use science
practices and collect
data regarding their
observations of the
interaction between
paper clips and
magnets. They use
those data to predict
how far the magnetic
field extends.
3-PS2-1; 3-PS2-2
How is the
magnetic field
affected when
more magnets are
added?
• Magnetic forces between objects does
not require that the objects be in
contact.
• The strength of the magnetic force
between objects depends on the
properties of the objects and their
distance apart.
• The interaction between magnets
depends on their orientation
(sometimes they attract and sometimes
they repel).
• Unbalanced forces (pushes or pulls)
result in change of motion.
• Gravity is the force that pulls masses
toward the center of Earth.
Students build on the
observations they made in Part
1 and look for patterns in data
to predict how far the magnetic
field extends around two
magnets. Students collect data
for one and three magnets,
measuring the distance at
which paper clips are attracted.
They use those data to predict
how far the magnetic field
extends around two magnets.
Students use and discuss
science practices in the context
of investigating magnetic
fields.
Science notebook entry
Activity- "What Goes Around"
Teacher Prep Video
(FOSS)
Science Resources Book
"What Scientists Do"
Videos
All about Motion and
Balance
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Investigation 1, Part 3
Building on their
experience with
magnetic force,
students explore other
pushes and pulls,
considering strength
and direction. Students
are introduced to the
effects of balanced and
unbalanced forces.
3-PS2-2
What causes
change of motion?
● Magnetic forces between
objects does not require
● that the objects be in contact.
● The strength of the magnetic
force between
● objects depends on the
properties of the objects
● and their distance apart.
● The interaction between
magnets depends on
● their orientation (sometimes
they attract and
● sometimes they repel).
● • Unbalanced forces (pushes or
pulls) result in
● change of motion.
Building on their experience
with magnetic force, students
explore other pushes and pulls.
They expand their
understanding of force to
include a force’s strength and
direction, and more about the
effects of balanced and
unbalanced forces.
Teacher can choose from any
of these activities:
Online Activity
"Roller Coaster Builder"
(FOSS)
Paper Airplane Design
Challenge
Teacher Prep Video
(FOSS)
Making magnets out of
nonmagnetic objects
http://betterlesson.com/le
sson/639707/it-s-only-
temporary
http://betterlesson.com/le
sson/641889/flying-into-
a-problem-1-3
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● • Gravity is the force that pulls
masses toward the
● center of Earth.
Investigation 2, Part 1
Motion
Students use variety of
systems to explore
patterns of motion.
They design wheel-
and-axle systems and
roll the systems down
ramps to observe the
pattern of motion.
3-PS2-1; 3-PS2-2
How can we
change the motion
of wheels rolling
down ramps?
•The patterns of an object’s motion in
various situations can be observed and
measured.
• When past motion exhibits a regular
pattern, future motion can be predicted
from it
• A wheel-and-axle system with two
sizes of wheels describes a curved path
when rolled down a slope.
•The system curves toward the smaller
wheel.
Investigation 2 I-Check
Benchmark Assessment
Students set up cardboard
ramps down which they roll
plastic disks. They put the
disks on shafts to make wheel-
and-axle systems. They try all
kinds of configurations of
wheel size, axle length, and
axle position to meet a variety
of challenges.
Embedded Assessment
Science notebook entry
Teacher Prep Video
(FOSS)
Science Resources Book
"Patterns of Motion"
"What Goes Around"
Online Activity
"Roller Coaster
Builder"
How can you make a
slide go faster?
https://mysteryscience.c
om/forces/mystery-
3/balance-of-forces-
friction/44?r=4086109
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Investigation 2, Part 2
Students will extend
their rolling
investigations to
systems with big and
little wheels and use the
predictable curved
rolling path to meet
challenges
3-PS2-1; 3-PS2-2
What rules help
predict where a
rolling cup will
end up?
•The patterns of an object’s motion in
various situations can be observed and
measured.
• When past motion exhibits a regular
pattern, future motion can be predicted
from it
• A wheel-and-axle system with two
sizes of wheels describes a curved path
when rolled down a slope.
•The system curves toward the smaller
wheel.
Students roll paper cups down
ramps and grapple with the
different behaviors of rolling
systems with two different-
sized wheels. They observe the
way cups roll and use the
predictable curved rolling path
to meet challenges. They put
cups together to make them
roll straight and weight them
in various ways to see how
weight affects rolling.
Activity- Roller Coaster
Builder
Embedded Assessment Notes
Teacher Prep Video
(FOSS)
Science Resources Book
"What Goes Around"
Online Activity
"Roller Coaster”
Investigation 2, Part 3
Students make twirly
birds (flying spinners)
and explore the
variables involved in
the interaction between
twirlying systems,
gravity, and air.
Student-created
question, e.g.,
What happens to
the motion of a
twirly bird when
the wing length
changes?
• A twirly bird is a simple winged
system that spins when it interacts with
air. Twirler performance is affected by
variables.
• Tops exhibit rotational motion
(spinning) when torque is applied to
the axial shaft. Top performance is
Students make twirly birds
(flying spinners) that create
motion from the interaction of
the forces of gravity and air
friction (air resistance). First
they create a standard twirly
bird; then the class focuses on
science practices as they
investigate variables. Students
Teacher Prep Video
(FOSS)
Science Resources Book
"What Goes Around"
Online Activity
"Roller Coaster”
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3-PS2-1; 3-PS2-2
affected by variables.
take their twirly birds outdoors
to find out if they fly the same.
Performance Assessment
Checklist 2.3
Investigation 2, Part 4
Students design tops
and explore the
variables that results in
the best spinning top.
What is the best
design for a top?
• The patterns of an object’s motion in
various situations can be observed and
measured.
• When past motion exhibits a regular
pattern, future motion can be predicted
from it
• Tops exhibit rotational motion
(spinning) when torque is applied to
the axial shaft. Top performance is
affected by variables.
Students make tops from
plastic disks and shafts, and
spin them by applying a torque
force to the shaft. After finding
the arrangement of parts that
produces the best top, they use
the tops to look at different
designs as they spin. Finally,
they look at the path that a
drawing top reveals as it spins.
Assessment Record
Investigation Check 2.1
Teacher Prep Video
(FOSS)
Science Resources Book
"Patterns of Motion"
"What Goes Around"
Online Activity
"Roller Coaster
Builder"
Investigation 3, Part
1, Engineering
Students tackle an
engineering design
challenge in
What are some
important features
of a cart that will
roll from here to
there?
• Possible solutions to a problem are
limited by available materials and
resources (constraints).
• The success of a designed solution is
determined by considering the desired
Students tackle an engineering
challenge. The only criterion
given is that whatever is
created must be able to roll
from one place to another with
a small push or a pull. The two
Teacher Prep Video
(FOSS)
Science Resources Book
"What Engineers Do"
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incremental steps.
NGSS Performance
Expectations
3-PS2-1; 3-PS2-2; 3-
PS2-4
3-5 ETS1-1; 3-5 ETS1-
2;
3-5 ETS1-3
features of a solution (criteria).
• Research on a problem should be
carried out before beginning to design
a solution. Testing a solution involves
investigating how well it performs
under a range of likely conditions.
• The pattern of an object’s or a
system’s motion in various situations
can be observed and measured.
• When past motion exhibits a pattern,
it can be used to predict future motion.
constraints are a restricted set
of materials and a time limit.
This challenge provides the
foundation for science learning
and engineering activities
throughout the rest of the
investigation.
Embedded Assessment
Science notebook entries
Performance assessment
Investigation 3 I-Check
"Science Practices"
"Engineering Practices"
Investigation 3, Part
2, Engineering
Students continue with
an investigation
involving gravity
How can you
improve the design
of your cart?
• Possible solutions to a problem are
limited by available materials and
resources (constraints).
• The success of a designed solution is
determined by considering the desired
features of a solution (criteria).
Students get a second chance
to build carts and improve
their designs. Once they have a
new working cart, students are
challenged to make it roll
farther or stop shorter than the
initial trial distances that they
Teacher Prep Video
(FOSS)
"Soap Box Derby"
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• Research on a problem should be
carried out before beginning to design
a solution. Testing a solution involves
investigating how well it performs
under a range of likely conditions.
• The pattern of an object’s or a
system’s motion in various situations
can be observed and measured.
• When past motion exhibits a pattern,
it can be used to predict future motion.
recorded. The meter (m) and
centimeter (cm) are reviewed
as the measurement units used
by scientists to measure
distance.
Embedded Assessment
Science notebook entries
Tutorial Measuring Length
Activity- How can you go
faster down a slide
Faster Slide
Investigation 3, Part 3
The final challenge
incorporates students’
knowledge of
magnetism into their
cart design to meet new
challenges.
Student-created questions, e.g., How does start position affect how far a cart rolls?
Possible solutions to a problem are
limited by available materials and
resources (constraints).
• The success of a designed solution is
determined by considering the desired
features of a solution (criteria).
• Research on a problem should be
Students investigate start
position. They assemble new
carts and investigate how start
position affects the distance
the cart will travel. Students
plan and conduct this
investigation on their own, and
discuss their investigation
Teacher Prep Video
(FOSS)
"The Metric System"
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carried out before beginning to design
a solution. Testing a solution involves
investigating how well it performs
under a range of likely conditions.
•The pattern of an object’s or a
system’s motion in various situations
can be observed and measured.
• When past motion exhibits a pattern,
it can be used to predict future motion.
procedures and how they can
be improved
Performance Assessment
Checklist 3.3
Investigation 3, Part
4, Engineering
This investigation
develops understanding
of engineering design
concepts and provides
opportunities for
students to engage in
engineering practices.
How can you use
magnets to do cart
tricks?
Possible solutions to a problem are
limited by available materials and
resources (constraints).
• The success of a designed solution is
determined by considering the desired
features of a solution (criteria).
• Research on a problem should be
carried out before beginning to design
a solution. Testing a solution involves
investigating how well it performs
Students modify their systems
(carts) to meet new challenges.
They use their knowledge of
magnets to resolve new
engineering challenges.
Assessment Record 3.1-
Science Notebook
Teacher Prep Video
(FOSS)
"How Engineers and
Scientists Work
Together"
Online Activities
"Measuring Length"
"Measurement Logic"
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under a range of likely conditions.
•The pattern of an object’s or a
system’s motion in various situations
can be observed and measured.
• When past motion exhibits a pattern,
it can be used to predict future motion.
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Investigation 4, Part 1
Mixture
Students build and
extend grade two
experiences with matter
by making mixtures of
two materials.They
determine the mass of
the materials prior
to mixing and after
mixing. In one mixture,
salt dissolves
(disappears), resulting
in a solution.
NGSS Performance
Expectation
5-PS1-1
What happens
when you mix two
materials?
•A mixture is two or more materials
distributed evenly throughout one
another.
• A special class of mixture, a solution,
results when a solid material dissolves
(disappears) in a liquid.
• Starting materials change into new
materials during chemical reactions.
• Mass is neither created nor destroyed
during physical and chemical
interactions Matter is conserved.
Students make four different
mixtures, one that includes two
solids and three that use 50 mL
of water and one of three
solids (sand, chalk, or salt). In
one mixture, the solid salt
dissolves, resulting in a
solution. Students determine
the mass of the salt and water
and compare the sum to the
mass of the solution to observe
that the salt is still present,
even though it is not visible.
Embedded Assessment
Performance assessment
Science notebook entry
Benchmark Assessment
Tutorial and Instructional
Videos on measuring volume
Science Resources Book
"Mixing Solids and
Liquids"
Online Activities
"Measuring Mass"
"Conservation of Mass"
"Measuring Volume and
Mass"
"Measuring Volume"
"Chemical Reactions"
"Measuring Length"
"Measurement Logic"
"Metric Mystery"
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Investigation 4, Part 2
Mixture
Students confirm that
the mass of the solution
is
equal to the starting
masses of the water and
salt.
They mix vinegar and
baking soda and
observe a
bubbling reaction.
What happens
when you mix two
materials?
•A mixture is two or more materials
distributed evenly throughout one
another.
• A special class of mixture, a solution,
results when a solid material dissolves
(disappears) in a liquid.
• Starting materials change into new
materials during chemical reactions.
• Mass is neither created nor destroyed
during physical and chemical
interactions Matter is conserved.
Students determine the mass of
a volume of vinegar and
baking soda before mixing
them. They observe bubbling
and fizzing, evidence that a
new material—carbon dioxide
gas—formed. The new
material is evidence that a
chemical reaction occurred.
Students determine that the
mass of the mixture after the
bubbling stops is less than the
mass of the original materials.
This change in mass pushes
students to infer that carbon
dioxide has mass, which went
into the air.
Embedded Assessment Notes
"Reactions"
Investigation 4, Part 3
Mixture
Students determine that
the mass of the ending
mixtures is less than the
mass of the original
What is the
importance of
accurate
measurements for
a metric field day?
•A mixture is two or more materials
distributed evenly throughout one
another.
• A special class of mixture, a solution,
results when a solid material dissolves
Students determine the mass of
a volume of vinegar and
baking soda before mixing
them. They observe bubbling
and fizzing, evidence that a
new material—carbon dioxide
gas—formed. The new
"Careers You Can Count
On"
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materials, which
challenges students
to infer that carbon
dioxide gas, which
escaped,has mass. The
investigation and
module ends with
students designing and
conducting a metric
field day to creatively
apply their
understanding of
standards of
measurement.
(disappears) in a liquid.
• Starting materials change into new
materials during chemical reactions.
• Mass is neither created nor destroyed
during physical and chemical
interactions Matter is conserved.
material is evidence that a
chemical reaction occurred.
Students determine that the
mass of the mixture after the
bubbling stops is less than the
mass of the original materials.
This change in mass pushes
students to infer that carbon
dioxide has mass, which went
into the air.
Metric Mystery
Survey
Post Test
Unit Project (Choose 1)
Puffing Forces: Students will predict and observe what happens when a force is applied to an object, and compare the relative effects of a force of the same strength on objects of different weights by using a straw to gently puff air at a ping pong ball then a golf ball and measuring the distance the ball travels with a ruler. Students will repeat this procedure using a harder puff. Background For Teachers: Newton’s first law of motion describes the tendency of all objects and matter in the universe is to stay still, or if moving, to continue moving in the same
Robo Arm: This fun activity is one of five in a series of space based engineering challenges developed by NASA and Design Squad where students are engaged in implementing the Engineering Design process to build a robotic arm that can lift a cup off a table using cardboard strips, brass fasteners, paper clips, straw, string, tape and a cup. The activity includes an instructor’s guide, questioning techniques, discussion questions, extension activity, a rubric, and 3 short video clips that enhance the purpose of the activity and its relevance to NASA. Overview
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direction, unless acted on by some outside force. The teaching of force and motion in third grade sets the foundation for further understanding when its principles are revisited again in sixth and seventh grades, and with a more in-depth focus in eighth grade. This lesson plan uses a pendulum, as when a pendulum is set in motion it remains in motion, thus allowing time to perform experiments on an object in motion. Many universities exhibit large pendulums that actually show the rotation of the earth, hence they are important instruments having to do with force and motion. This activity requires students to practice a basic scientific process. A question is given to them and they make predictions before setting up an experiment to prove or disprove their prediction. Students record their results and analyze their findings. Intended Learning Outcomes: 1. Use Science Process and Thinking Skills 2. Manifest Scientific Attitudes and Interests 3. Understand Science Concepts and Principles 4. Communicate Effectively Using Science Language and Reasoning http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview?LPid=14858 http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/downloadFile.cgi?file=14858-2-20812-pendulum.pdf&filename=pendulum.pdf
In this challenge, students will use a model robotic arm to move items from one location to another. They will engage in the engineering design process to design, build and operate the arm. http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/teach/activity/robotic-arm-challenge/
What It Looks Like in the Classroom
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In this unit of study, students look for cause-and-effect relationships as they investigate the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an
object. They learn that objects in contact exert forces on each other, and these forces have both strength and direction. When forces are balanced, there is no
change in the motion or the position of an object. In other words, an object at rest typically has multiple forces acting on it, but the forces balance out to equal a
zero net force on the object. For example, if two children stand with their hands together and push against each other, the pushing force each exerts balances to
a net zero effect if neither child moves. Pushing a box from both sides also demonstrates a balanced force if the forces do not produce any change in motion or
position of the box.
When forces are unbalanced, however, there is a change in the motion and/or position of the object the forces are acting on. If the same two children from the
example above were pushing against each other, and one child moves his/her hands, arms, or feet forward while the other child moves backward, this would
demonstrate an unbalanced force. The first child is pushing with greater force than the second.
Through planning and conducting investigations, students will come to understand that forces that result in changes in an object’s speed or direction of motion
are unbalanced. Students can observe everyday examples on the playground, with seesaws and swings and by kicking and throwing soccer balls. As they conduct
investigations and make observations, students should identify the cause-and-effect relationships at work and identify the objects that are exerting forces on
one another. They should also use qualitative descriptions when identifying the relative strength (greater than, less than, equal) and direction of the forces, even
if an object is at rest.
Investigating the effects of forces on objects will also give students opportunities to observe that patterns exist everywhere. Patterns are found in shapes,
structures, natural environments, and recurring events. Scientists and engineers analyze patterns to make predictions, develop questions, and create solutions.
As students have opportunities to observe forces interacting with objects, they will ask questions and analyze and interpret data in order to identify patterns of
change in the motion of objects and to make predictions about an object’s future motion. When students are on the playground, they can observe multiple
patterns of change in the back-and-forth motion of a child swinging on a swing or in the up-and-down motion of a seesaw. In the classroom, students can
observe a variety of objects, such as marbles rolling back and forth in bowls or tops spinning across the floor.
Throughout this unit, as students plan and carry out investigations, it is extremely important that they routinely identify cause-and-effect relationships and look for patterns of
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change as objects interact. As students interact with objects, such as when they push a door closed, bounce a ball, or roll a ball down a ramp, they may ask, “What caused the
changes that I observed? How can I change the way in which the object moved?” Students need to have many experiences in order to deepen their understanding of the cause-
and-effect relationships between balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object, and they should be guided to plan and conduct fair tests, testing only one variable
at a time.
Modifications
(Note: Teachers identify the modifications that they will use in the unit. See NGSS Appendix D: All Standards, All Students/Case Studies for vignettes and
explanations of the modifications.)
● Structure lessons around questions that are authentic, relate to students’ interests, social/family background and knowledge of their community.
● Provide students with multiple choices for how they can represent their understandings (e.g. multisensory techniques-auditory/visual aids; pictures,
illustrations, graphs, charts, data tables, multimedia, modeling).
● Provide opportunities for students to connect with people of similar backgrounds (e.g. conversations via digital tool such as SKYPE, experts from the
community helping with a project, journal articles, and biographies).
● Provide multiple grouping opportunities for students to share their ideas and to encourage work among various backgrounds and cultures (e.g. multiple
representation and multimodal experiences).
● Engage students with a variety of Science and Engineering practices to provide students with multiple entry points and multiple ways to demonstrate
their understandings.
● Use project-based science learning to connect science with observable phenomena.
● Structure the learning around explaining or solving a social or community-based issue.
● Provide ELL students with multiple literacy strategies.
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● Collaborate with after-school programs or clubs to extend learning opportunities.
● Restructure lesson using UDL principals (http://www.cast.org/our-work/about-udl.html#.VXmoXcfD_UA).
Research on Student Learning
Students believe constant speed needs some cause to sustain it. In addition, students believe that the amount of motion is proportional to the amount of force; that if a body is
not moving, there is no force acting on it; and that if a body is moving there is a force acting on it in the direction of the motion. Students also believe that objects resist
acceleration from the state of rest because of friction -- that is, they confound inertia with friction (NSDL, 2015).
Prior Learning
Kindergarten Unit 1: Pushes and Pulls
● · Pushes and pulls can have different strengths and directions.
● · Pushing or pulling on an object can change the speed or direction of the object’s motion and can start or stop it.
● · When objects touch or collide, they push on one another and can change motion.
● · A bigger push or pull causes things speed up or slow down more quickly.
Grade 1 Unit 1: Patterns of Change in the Sky
● Patterns of the motion of the sun, moon, and stars in the sky can be observed, described, and predicted.
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Future Learning
Grade 4 Unit 5: Energy Transfer
· Waves, which are regular patterns of motion, can be made in water by disturbing the surface. When waves move across the surface of deep water, the
water goes up and down in place; there is no net motion in the direction of the wave except when water meets a beach.
· Waves of the same type can differ in amplitude (height) and length (the spacing between wave peaks).
Grade 5 Unit 6: Interactions Within the Earth, Sun and Moon System
· The gravitational force of Earth acting on an object near Earth’s surface pulls that object toward the planet’s center.
Grade 6 Unit 4: Force and Motion
· For any pair of interacting objects, the force exerted by the first object on the second object is equal in strength to the force that the second object exerts
on the first, but in the opposite direction (Newton’s third law).
· The motion of an object is determined by the sum of the forces acting on it; if the total force on the object is not zero, the object’s motion will change. The
greater the mass of the object, the greater the force needed to achieve the same change in motion. For any given object, a larger force causes a larger change in
motion.
· All positions of objects and the directions of forces and motions must be described in an arbitrarily chosen reference frame and arbitrarily chosen units of
size. In order to share information with other people, these choices must also be shared.
· The solar system consists of the sun and a collection of objects, including planets, their moons, and asteroids that are held in orbit around the sun by its
gravitational pull on them.
· This model of the solar system can explain eclipses of the sun and the moon. Earth’s spin axis is fixed in direction over the short term but is tilted relative to
its orbit around the sun. The seasons are a result of that tilt and are caused by the differential intensity of sunlight on different areas of Earth across the year.
· The solar system appears to have formed from a disk of dust and gas, drawn together by gravity.
· Water continually cycles among land, ocean, and the atmosphere via transpiration, evaporation, condensation and crystallization, and precipitation, as well
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as downhill flows on land.
· The complex patterns of the changes in the movement of water in the atmosphere are determined by winds, landforms, and ocean temperatures and
currents; which are major determinants of local weather patterns.
· Global movements of water and its changes in form are propelled by sunlight and gravity.
· Variations in density due to variations in temperature and salinity drive a global pattern of interconnected ocean currents.
Water’s movements—both on land and underground—cause weathering and erosion, which change the land’s surface features and create underground formations.
Interdisciplinary Connections
English Language Arts
· In order to integrate the CCSS for ELA into this unit, students need opportunities to read content-specific texts to deepen their understanding of force and
motion. As they read, teachers should pose questions such as, “What interactions can you identify between the objects in the text?” and “What patterns of
motion are described in the text?” Students should be encouraged to answer questions and cite evidence from the text to support their thinking.
· To further support the integration of the ELA standards, students can also conduct short research projects about simple force-and-motion systems and the
interactions that occur among forces and objects within the systems. For example, students could be asked to conduct a short study by bouncing a ball 10 times
and identifying the patterns they observe. Next students could predict, based on the patterns they saw, what would happen if they bounced the ball 10 more
times. Students then could draw a model of the force and motion system, identifying the structures and forces that interact within the system. This would also
give students the opportunity to develop note-taking skills and use multiple sources to collect information about force and motion.
Mathematics
In order to integrate the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, students can use measurement tools in a variety of ways to conduct investigations. Students could find
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the mass of an object in order to understand that the heavier something is, the greater the force needed to cause a change in its motion. Students could use rulers or tape
measures to measure the distance an object moves. Student can then record and analyze their data to determine patterns of change and explain cause-and-effect relationships,
while reasoning abstractly and quantitatively.
Unit Vocabulary
Investigation 1:
Forces
attract
balanced
change of motion
data
direction
evidence
force
gravity
magnet
magnetic field
magnetic force
magnetism
model
motion
observe
pattern
practice
Investigation 2: Patterns of Motion
axis
axle
friction
outcome
pattern of motion
ramp
rotate
shaft
slope
standard system
top
twirly bird
variable
wheel
Investigation 3: Engineering bearing
centimeter (cm)
constraint
criterion
engineer
meter (m)
metric system
solution
standard
unit
start position
Investigation 4: Mixtures
baking soda
calcium
carbonate
carbon dioxide
chalk
chemical reaction
cloudy
conservation of mass dissolve
mixture
salt solution
suspend
transparent
vinegar
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predict
prediction
pull
push
repel
science practices
strength
unbalanced
Educational Technology Standards
8.1.8.A.1, 8.1.8.B.1, 8.1.8.C.1, 8.1.8.D.1, 8.1.8.E.1, 8.1.8.F.1
➢ Technology Operations and Concepts
• Create professional documents (e.g., newsletter, personalized learning plan, business letter or flyer) using advanced features of a word
processing program.
➢ Creativity and Innovation • Synthesize and publish information about a local or global issue or event on a collaborative, web-based service.
➢ Communication and Collaboration
• Participate in an online learning community with learners from other countries to understand their perspectives on a global problem or issue, and propose possible solutions.
➢ Digital Citizenship
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• Model appropriate online behaviors related to cyber safety, cyber bullying, cyber security, and cyber ethics.
➢ Research and Information Literacy
• Gather and analyze findings using data collection technology to produce a possible solution for a content-related or real-world problem.
➢ Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, Decision Making
• Use an electronic authoring tool in collaboration with learners from other countries to evaluate and summarize the perspectives of other
cultures about a current event or contemporary figure.
Career Ready Practices
Career Ready Practices describe the career-ready skills that all educators in all content areas should seek to develop in their students. They are practices that have been linked to increase college, career, and life success. Career Ready Practices should be taught and reinforced in all career exploration and preparation programs with increasingly higher levels of complexity and expectation as a student advances through a program of study.
CRP1. Act as a responsible and contributing citizen and employee Career-ready individuals understand the obligations and responsibilities of being a member of a community, and they demonstrate this understanding every day through their interactions with others. They are conscientious of the impacts of their decisions on others and the environment around them. They think about the near-term and long-term consequences of their actions and seek to act in ways that contribute to the betterment of their teams, families, community and workplace. They are reliable and consistent in going beyond the minimum expectation and in participating in activities that serve the greater good. CRP2. Apply appropriate academic and technical skills. Career-ready individuals readily access and use the knowledge and skills acquired through experience and education to be more productive. They make connections between abstract concepts with real-world applications, and they make correct insights about when it is appropriate to apply the use of an academic skill in a workplace situation. CRP3. Attend to personal health and financial well-being.
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Career-ready individuals understand the relationship between personal health, workplace performance and personal well-being; they act on that understanding to regularly practice healthy diet, exercise and mental health activities. Career-ready individuals also take regular action to contribute to their personal financial well-being, understanding that personal financial security provides the peace of mind required to contribute more fully to their own career success. CRP4. Communicate clearly and effectively and with reason. Career-ready individuals communicate thoughts, ideas, and action plans with clarity, whether using written, verbal, and/or visual methods. They communicate in the workplace with clarity and purpose to make maximum use of their own and others’ time. They are excellent writers; they master conventions, word choice, and organization, and use effective tone and presentation skills to articulate ideas. They are skilled at interacting with others; they are active listeners and speak clearly and with purpose. Career-ready individuals think about the audience for their communication and prepare accordingly to ensure the desired outcome. CRP5. Consider the environmental, social and economic impacts of decisions. Career-ready individuals understand the interrelated nature of their actions and regularly make decisions that positively impact and/or mitigate negative impact on other people, organization, and the environment. They are aware of and utilize new technologies, understandings, procedures, materials, and regulations affecting the nature of their work as it relates to the impact on the social condition, the environment and the profitability of the organization. CRP6. Demonstrate creativity and innovation. Career-ready individuals regularly think of ideas that solve problems in new and different ways, and they contribute those ideas in a useful and productive manner to improve their organization. They can consider unconventional ideas and suggestions as solutions to issues, tasks or problems, and they discern which ideas and suggestions will add greatest value. They seek new methods, practices, and ideas from a variety of sources and seek to apply those ideas to their own workplace. They take action on their ideas and understand how to bring innovation to an organization. CRP7. Employ valid and reliable research strategies. Career-ready individuals are discerning in accepting and using new information to make decisions, change practices or inform strategies. They use reliable research process to search for new information. They evaluate the validity of sources when considering the use and adoption of external information or practices in their workplace situation. CRP8. Utilize critical thinking to make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
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Career-ready individuals readily recognize problems in the workplace, understand the nature of the problem, and devise effective plans to solve the problem. They are aware of problems when they occur and take action quickly to address the problem; they thoughtfully investigate the root cause of the problem prior to introducing solutions. They carefully consider the options to solve the problem. Once a solution is agreed upon, they follow through to ensure the problem is solved, whether through their own actions or the actions of others. CRP9. Model integrity, ethical leadership and effective management. Career-ready individuals consistently act in ways that align personal and community-held ideals and principles while employing strategies to positively influence others in the workplace. They have a clear understanding of integrity and act on this understanding in every decision. They use a variety of means to positively impact the directions and actions of a team or organization, and they apply insights into human behavior to change others’ action, attitudes and/or beliefs. They recognize the near-term and long-term effects that management’s actions and attitudes can have on productivity, morals and organizational culture. CRP10. Plan education and career paths aligned to personal goals. Career-ready individuals take personal ownership of their own education and career goals, and they regularly act on a plan to attain these goals. They understand their own career interests, preferences, goals, and requirements. They have perspective regarding the pathways available to them and the time, effort, experience and other requirements to pursue each, including a path of entrepreneurship. They recognize the value of each step in the education and experiential process, and they recognize that nearly all career paths require ongoing education and experience. They seek counselors, mentors, and other experts to assist in the planning and execution of career and personal goals. CRP11. Use technology to enhance productivity. Career-ready individuals find and maximize the productive value of existing and new technology to accomplish workplace tasks and solve workplace problems. They are flexible and adaptive in acquiring new technology. They are proficient with ubiquitous technology applications. They understand the inherent risks-personal and organizational-of technology applications, and they take actions to prevent or mitigate these risks. CRP12. Work productively in teams while using cultural global competence. Career-ready individuals positively contribute to every team, whether formal or informal. They apply an awareness of cultural difference to avoid barriers to productive and positive interaction. They find ways to increase the engagement and contribution of all team members. They plan and facilitate effective team meetings.
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Appendix A: NGSS and Foundations for the Unit
Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object. [Clarification Statement: Examples could
include an unbalanced force on one side of a ball can make it start moving; and, balanced forces pushing on a box from both sides will not produce any motion at all.]
[Assessment Boundary: Assessment is limited to one variable at a time: number, size, or direction of forces. Assessment does not include quantitative force size, only
qualitative and relative. Assessment is limited to gravity being addressed as a force that pulls objects down.] (3-PS2-1)
Make observations and/or measurements of an object’s motion to provide evidence that a pattern can be used to predict future motion. [Clarification Statement: Examples
of motion with a predictable pattern could include a child swinging in a swing, a ball rolling back and forth in a bowl, and two children on a see-saw.] [Assessment
Boundary: Assessment does not include technical terms such as period and frequency.] (3-PS2-2)
The performance expectations above were developed using the following elements from the NRC document A Framework for K-12 Science Education:
The performance expectations above were developed using the following elements from the NRC document A Framework for K-12 Science Education:
Science and Engineering Practices Disciplinary Core Ideas Crosscutting Concepts
Planning and Carrying Out Investigations
● Plan and conduct an investigation collaboratively to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence, using fair tests in which variables are controlled and the number of trials considered. (3-PS2-1)
● Make observations and/or measurements to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence for an explanation of a phenomenon or test a design solution. (3-PS2-2)
PS2.A: Forces and Motion
● · Each force acts on one particular
object and has both strength and a
direction. An object at rest typically has
multiple forces acting on it, but they add to
give zero net force on the object. Forces
that do not sum to zero can cause changes
in the object’s speed or direction of motion.
Cause and Effect
· Cause and effect relationships are routinely identified. (3-PS2-1)
Patterns
· Patterns of change can be used to make predictions. (3-PS2-2)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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(Boundary: Qualitative and conceptual, but
not quantitative addition of forces are used
at this level.) (3-PS2-1)
● · The patterns of an object’s motion in
various situations can be observed and
measured; when that past motion exhibits a
regular pattern, future motion can be
predicted from it. (Boundary: Technical
terms, such as magnitude, velocity,
momentum, and vector quantity, are not
introduced at this level, but the concept that
some quantities need both size and
direction to be described is developed.) (3-
PS2-2)
● PS2.B: Types of Interactions
● · Objects in contact exert forces on
each other. (3-PS2-1)
Connections to Nature of Science
Science Knowledge is Based on Empirical Evidence
· Science findings are based on recognizing patterns. (3-PS2-2)
Scientific Investigations Use a Variety of Methods
· Science investigations use a variety of methods, tools, and techniques. (3-PS2-1)
English Language Arts Mathematics
Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the
text as the basis for the answers. RI.3.1 (3-PS2-1)
Reason abstractly and quantitatively. MP.2 (3-PS2-1)
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Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic. W.3.7 (3-PS2-1),(3-PS2-
2)
Recall information from experiences or gather information from print and digital sources;
take brief notes on sources and sort evidence into provided categories. W.3.8 (3-PS2-1),(3-
PS2-2)
Use appropriate tools strategically. MP.5 (3-PS2-1)
Measure and estimate liquid volumes and masses of objects using standard units
of grams (g), kilograms (kg), and liters (l). Add, subtract, multiply, or divide to
solve one-step word problems involving masses or volumes that are given in the
same units, e.g., by using drawings (such as a beaker with a measurement scale)
to represent the problem. 3.MD.A.2 (3-PS2-1)
Rubric(s):
Field Trip Ideas:
Liberty Science Center, Newark, New Jersey
Jersey City Museum, Jersey City
Land of Make Believe, Hope, New Jersey
New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey
The Funplex, East Hanover, New Jersey
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