Central Idea: Forces make things start, stop and move in different ways
Lines of Inquiry:
- How objects move in different ways (Function)
- How forces change the way things move (Causation)
- How movement can be changed (Change)
To wrap up our unit on forces and motion in a fun, engaging way we introduced our students to the story, “Galimoto” by Karen Lynn Williams. In this story, a young boy uses wire to make a push-toy car to play with. As a form of action, we challenged our students to use recyclable goods to make a toy that uses force or motion when played with. First, students identified what types of materials and resources we had at school that are considered, “recyclable.” We discussed how an item can be recycled if it is being used again for a new purpose. Students had many ideas, arguing that even the clay from art class could be recyclable!
After making our list of materials, students considered what they wanted to make using any of the materials we brainstormed. Students drew out their design for their toy, labeling each part of their design with what recycled item would be used to make it. Some students chose to make cars, others wagons or speedboats. Some got creative with their understanding of force and made a purse, stating that it uses force because you have to pull on it to pick it up. What became clear as students were designing, is that they had a strong understanding of push and pull forces and the different ways their movement can be changed. Students discussed related concepts like direction, speed, and weight when discussing how their object would move.
Finally, students built their creations! They had so much fun putting together their toys, testing out their ideas of how it would move. It was a great celebration of creativity and knowledge.
Sonia Richmond 