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Push & Pull Power!

Lesson Plan

Push & Pull Power!

Students will be able to identify and demonstrate push and pull forces in various real-world scenarios, aligning with Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for Grade 3 Science (3.6(B) identify and describe the forces that cause change and motion, such as push, pull, gravity, and friction).

Understanding forces helps students make sense of how objects move and interact in their daily lives, from playing sports to opening doors. This foundational knowledge sparks curiosity about the physical world.

Audience

3rd Grade Students

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Hands-on exploration and observation.

Materials

Whiteboard or projector, Markers or pens, Slide Deck: Push & Pull Power!, Various classroom objects for demonstration (e.g., toy car, book, door, ball), and Small group materials: toy cars, string, small block, rubber band, student Worksheet: Force Finders

Prep

Teacher Preparation

10 minutes

Step 1

Introduction: What Moves Things?

5 minutes

  1. Begin by asking students what makes things move. (e.g., "How do you get a toy car to go? How do you open a door?")
  2. Introduce the terms 'push' and 'pull' as types of forces. Use the Slide Deck: Push & Pull Power! (Slides 1-2) to present the objective and introduce the concepts. Utilize the Script: Guiding Force Exploration for clear instructions and engaging prompts.
  3. Demonstrate a few simple pushes and pulls with everyday objects (e.g., pushing a book across a desk, pulling a chair). Ask students to identify if it's a push or a pull. Refer to the Script: Guiding Force Exploration for detailed guidance.

Step 2

Hands-On Force Exploration

15 minutes

  1. Divide students into small groups.
  2. Provide each group with a toy car, a piece of string, a small block, and a rubber band.
  3. Instruct students to explore how they can make each object move using only pushes and pulls. Encourage them to try different ways.
  4. As they experiment, circulate and ask guiding questions: "What happens when you push gently? What about a strong pull? Can you make the car move with the string? Is that a push or a pull?" Refer to the Script: Guiding Force Exploration for questions.
  5. Distribute the Worksheet: Force Finders and instruct students to record their observations and identify pushes and pulls for each item as they work.

Step 3

Share and Discuss

7 minutes

  1. Bring the class back together.
  2. Ask each group to share one interesting discovery or observation about pushes and pulls from their exploration. Refer to the Script: Guiding Force Exploration for discussion prompts.
  3. Use Slide Deck: Push & Pull Power! (Slide 3) to summarize key takeaways about forces.
  4. Collect the Worksheet: Force Finders for review.
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Slide Deck

Push & Pull Power!

How do things move around us?

Today, we'll discover the secret forces behind motion: pushes and pulls!

Welcome students and introduce the exciting topic of forces! Explain that forces are all around us and help us understand why things move. Briefly mention the objective for today's lab.

What Makes Things Go?

Push

  • A force that moves an object away from you.
  • Examples: Pushing a swing, pushing a shopping cart, pushing a button.

Pull

  • A force that moves an object towards you.
  • Examples: Pulling a wagon, pulling a rope, pulling a door open.

Define 'push' and 'pull' clearly. Provide simple, relatable examples for each. Encourage students to think of their own examples before moving to the hands-on activity.

Force Fun Recap!

  • Force: A push or a pull.
  • Push: Moves an object away.
  • Pull: Moves an object towards.
  • Pushes and pulls make things move!

Wrap up the lesson by reviewing the main concepts. Ask students to recall some of the pushes and pulls they identified during the activity. Emphasize that pushes and pulls are types of forces.

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Script

Guiding Force Exploration

Introduction: What Moves Things? (5 minutes)

Teacher: "Good morning, everyone! Today we're going on a science adventure to explore something that makes everything move. Look around you. How did you get to your seat this morning? How do you open a door? How do you make a toy car go?"


Teacher: "Many things in our world move because of forces. Today, we're going to focus on two very common types of forces: pushes and pulls. By the end of our time together, you'll be pros at identifying them!"

Teacher: "Let's define these two terms. When I push something, I move it away from me. Like when I push this book across the desk. See how it moves away?" (Demonstrate pushing a book)

Teacher: "And when I pull something, I move it towards me. Like when I pull this chair closer. See how it comes to me?" (Demonstrate pulling a chair)

Teacher: "Let's try a few together. If I kick a soccer ball, is that a push or a pull?"


(Wait for responses) "That's right, a push! What about opening a drawer?"


(Wait for responses) "Excellent, a pull!"

Hands-On Force Exploration (15 minutes)

Teacher: "Now it's your turn to become 'Force Finders'! I'm going to divide you into small groups. Each group will receive a few objects: a toy car, a piece of string, a small block, and a rubber band."

Teacher: "Your task is to work together and explore how you can make each object move using only pushes and pulls. Try different ways! Be creative! As you experiment, you'll also record your observations on this Worksheet: Force Finders."

Teacher (to groups): "What happens when you push the toy car gently? What about a strong push? Can you make the block move with the string? Is that a push or a pull? What about stretching the rubber band? Is that a push or a pull? How can you use the rubber band to make something move?"

Share and Discuss (7 minutes)

Teacher: "Alright Force Finders, let's bring it back together! What did your groups discover? Can one person from each group share one interesting thing you learned or observed about pushes and pulls?"

  • (Listen to student responses and facilitate a brief discussion.)

Teacher: "Fantastic observations, everyone! It sounds like you all did a great job identifying pushes and pulls. Remember, a force is just a push or a pull, and these forces are what make everything around us move!"

Teacher: "Please turn in your Worksheet: Force Finders so I can see all your great work. You all did a wonderful job being scientists today!"

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Worksheet

Force Finders: Push & Pull Lab

Name: ____________________________

Date: ____________________________

Instructions:

For each object, explore how you can make it move using only pushes and pulls. Then, describe what you did and whether it was a push or a pull.

Object 1: Toy Car

  1. How did you make the toy car move away from you?







    Was this a push or a pull? ____________________________

  2. How did you make the toy car move towards you?







    Was this a push or a pull? ____________________________

Object 2: Small Block

  1. How did you make the small block move across the table using your hand?







    Was this a push or a pull? ____________________________

  2. How did you make the small block move towards you using the string?







    Was this a push or a pull? ____________________________

Object 3: Rubber Band

  1. How did you stretch the rubber band?







    Was this a push or a pull? ____________________________

  2. How could you use the stretched rubber band to make another object move? (Think about letting it go!)







    What kind of force did the rubber band exert on the other object? ____________________________

Think & Share:

What was the most interesting thing you learned about pushes and pulls today?











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