Analyze data to determine if a design solution works as intended to change the speed or direction of an object with a push or a pull

Standards Alignment

• K-PS2-2 primary
  Analyze data to determine if a design solution works as intended to change the speed or direction of an object with a push or a pull.*

Lesson Overview

This kindergarten science lesson focuses on helping students analyze data to determine if a design solution works as intended to change the speed or direction of an object using a push or a pull. Students will engage in hands-on investigations, use simple tools, collect and organize observations, and communicate their findings. The lesson integrates NGSS and TEKS standards related to forces and interactions, scientific practices, and engineering design.

Learning Objectives

• Ask questions and define problems based on observations or information from investigations or models related to pushes and pulls.
• Plan and conduct simple investigations using pushes or pulls to change the speed or direction of an object.
• Use tools safely to observe and measure the effects of pushes and pulls on objects.
• Collect and record observations and measurements as evidence about how a design solution affects an object's motion.
• Analyze data to decide if a design solution works as intended to change the speed or direction of an object with a push or a pull.
• Communicate explanations about whether the design solution worked, using pictures, words, or simple graphs.

Success Criteria

• Students can ask questions about how pushes or pulls affect an object's motion.
• Students can safely use tools to test a design solution that involves pushing or pulling an object.
• Students can collect and record observations about changes in speed or direction of an object.
• Students can analyze their data to determine if the design solution changed the object's speed or direction as intended.
• Students can explain and share their findings about the effectiveness of the design solution.

Prerequisite Knowledge

Students should understand the basic concepts of push and pull as forces that can move objects. They should have experience with observing objects moving and simple cause-and-effect relationships.

Key Vocabulary

• push
• pull
• speed
• direction
• design solution
• data
• observation
• investigation
• tool
• model

Materials and Resources

• marbles or small balls
• ramps or inclined planes (can be cardboard or plastic)
• blocks or books to support ramps
• paper and crayons or markers for recording data
• stopwatch or timer (optional)
• rulers or measuring tape
• notebooks or recording sheets
• various objects to push or pull (e.g., toy cars, balls)
• safety goggles

Teacher Preparation

• Prepare ramps and materials for students to test pushing or pulling objects.
• Prepare recording sheets with spaces for pictures, words, or simple graphs.
• Review safety procedures for handling materials and conducting investigations.
• Set up a demonstration area to show examples of pushes and pulls changing speed or direction.
• Prepare guiding questions to prompt student thinking about how their design solutions work.

Detailed Lesson Notes

Understanding Pushes and Pulls

A push is a force that moves an object away from you, while a pull is a force that moves an object toward you. Both pushes and pulls can change how fast an object moves (speed) or the path it takes (direction). For example, pushing a ball can make it roll faster or change its direction if pushed at an angle.

Design Solutions to Change Motion

A design solution is something we create to solve a problem. In this lesson, students design simple tools or setups, like ramps or barriers, to change how an object moves when pushed or pulled. For example, a ramp can make a marble roll faster, or a curved barrier can make it turn.

Collecting and Analyzing Data

Students will observe and measure how their design solutions affect the speed or direction of objects. Data can include how far the object moves, how fast it goes, or the path it follows. Recording data using pictures, words, or simple graphs helps students see patterns and decide if their design worked as intended.

Using Tools Safely

Students will use tools such as ramps, rulers, and timers. It is important to teach and remind students about safety, such as wearing goggles if needed, handling materials carefully, and working respectfully with classmates.

Evaluating if the Design Works

After testing, students analyze their data to determine if their design solution changed the speed or direction of the object as they wanted. They discuss and explain their findings, supporting their ideas with the data they collected. This helps students understand cause-and-effect relationships and the engineering design process.

Worked Examples

Classroom Activity

Students experiment with pushing or pulling the marble on ramps, adjusting the ramp or adding barriers to change speed or direction.

Guided Practice

Independent Practice

1. Foundational: What is a push?
2. Developing: If you want a ball to roll faster, what could you do?
3. Application: You made a ramp for a marble to roll down. How can you tell if your ramp works to make the marble go faster?
4. Analysis: You tested two designs: one ramp and one flat surface. The marble rolled 3 feet on the ramp and 1 foot on the flat surface. What does this data tell you about the ramp?
5. Challenge: You designed a barrier to make a ball turn. After testing, the ball did not turn but stopped instead. What could you change in your design to make the ball turn instead of stopping?

Independent Practice Teacher Answer Key

1. 1. A push is a force that moves an object away from you.
2. 2. You could push the ball harder or use a ramp to make it roll faster.
3. 3. You can measure how far or how fast the marble rolls with the ramp and compare it to when it rolls without the ramp.
4. 4. The data shows the ramp helped the marble roll farther, so the ramp works to increase the marble's speed.
5. 5. You could change the shape or position of the barrier so it guides the ball to turn instead of blocking it completely.

Guiding Questions

• What happens when you push or pull the object?
• How can you change the speed or direction of the object?
• Did your design work? How do you know?
• What data did you collect?
• How can you improve your design?

Common Misconceptions

• A push always makes an object go faster (sometimes it can slow or stop an object).
• Pulling an object always makes it move toward you (it depends on how and where you pull).
• If an object doesn’t move, no force is acting on it (forces can be balanced and cancel out).
• All design solutions will work perfectly the first time (designs often need testing and improvement).

Differentiation

Assessment

• Observe students during investigations to see if they can safely use tools and collect data.
• Listen to students’ explanations about how their design solutions affected motion.
• Check students’ recorded data for completeness and accuracy.
• Draw a picture showing how you pushed or pulled an object to make it move faster or turn.
• Tell if your design worked and why, using your observations.
• Have students design and test a new way to change the speed or direction of an object and present their findings.
• Use a simple quiz with questions about pushes, pulls, speed, and direction.

Answer Guide

• What is a push?
  Answer: A push is a force that moves an object away from you.
• How can you tell if a ramp makes a marble go faster?
  Answer: If the marble rolls farther or faster on the ramp compared to without it, the ramp makes it go faster.
• What did the curved barrier do to the ball's direction?
  Answer: The curved barrier made the ball turn, changing its direction.
• Why is it important to record data during your investigation?
  Answer: Recording data helps you remember what happened and decide if your design worked.
• What can you do if your design does not work as intended?
  Answer: You can change your design and test it again to make it work better.

Real-Life Application

Ask families to help students find examples of pushes and pulls at home, such as opening doors or pushing toys, and talk about how these forces change motion.

Homework or Home Connection

• Ask families to help students find examples of pushes and pulls at home, such as opening doors or pushing toys, and talk about how these forces change motion.

Lesson Summary

In this lesson, students learned that pushes and pulls are forces that can change how fast an object moves or the direction it goes. They designed and tested simple solutions like ramps and barriers to change an object's motion. By collecting and analyzing data, students determined if their designs worked as intended. They practiced using tools safely, recording observations, and explaining their findings with evidence. This builds foundational skills in science and engineering related to forces and motion.

Teacher Notes

Use the exact standards alignment and retrieved-source provenance stored with this enrichment.

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