{"id":381,"date":"2016-10-06T15:01:28","date_gmt":"2016-10-06T20:01:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.learningtostem.com\/?p=381"},"modified":"2016-10-20T11:10:03","modified_gmt":"2016-10-20T16:10:03","slug":"stem-lesson-plans-force-and-motion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.learningtostem.com\/stem-lesson-plans-force-and-motion\/","title":{"rendered":"STEM Lesson Plans: Force and Motion"},"content":{"rendered":"

STEM Lesson Plans: Force and Motion<\/h2>\n

Hot Wheels<\/a><\/h2>\n
\"Hot
Photo Credit: Wikimedia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Hot Wheels–and the many small vehicles that are not quite Hot Wheels–are a universal toy that almost all children enjoy. My daughter loves them, particularly sending them across the hardwood floors in our house.<\/p>\n

Their ubiquity makes them a perfect inclusion in STEM lesson plans. Students are already familiar with the classic toy which may gain some buy-in.<\/p>\n

Add one steep incline and you can begin testing just how the weight of each car impacts the distance they travel.<\/p>\n

This detailed lesson plan emphasizes\u00a0learning how to plan and conduct an investigation.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Recommended Grade Level: 3rd<\/strong><\/p>\n

For another approach to the same general idea, you can also\u00a0review this 3-day Ramp It Up<\/a> lesson plan<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\n

Egg Parachute<\/a><\/h2>\n
\"Person
Photo Credit: Wikimedia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I’m not sure a STEM activity could gain more credibility than being featured on NASA’s website<\/a>\u00a0(use this link in conjunction with above link<\/strong> to get additional approaches to constructing the parachute and discussion questions post-activity).<\/p>\n

You can engage your students by allowing them to construct their very own parachutes using common household materials.<\/p>\n

In this lesson, students will learn about gravity, air resistance, and acceleration<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Just watch out for crashing eggs!<\/p>\n

Recommended Grade Level<\/strong>: 6th – 8th<\/strong> (allowing students to customize the parachute or construct at home could appeal to older age groups)<\/p>\n

Handout<\/strong>: Three page handout to explain physics behind the drop<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n

Push and Pull<\/a><\/h2>\n

The Push and Pull guide provides exploratory activities to introduce children to basic physics concepts.<\/p>\n

Fun STEM activities include soda bottle bowling, making chair pulleys, and computer games to\u00a0provide skils reinforcement.<\/p>\n

\"Push
Photo Credit: Flickr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The guide also includes an alternative assessment rubric <\/strong>to the one’s used in the above lesson plans.<\/p>\n

Recommended Grade Level:<\/strong>\u00a01st – 3rd<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

Forces of Motion: Newton’s Laws<\/a><\/h2>\n