Elizabeth Lehman, First Grade, John M. Morehead STEM Academy
Implementing Common Core Standards (PDF)
Force and motion can be a difficult area of the science curriculum to explain to young learners. Often, curriculum written on this particular topic may be somewhat dry and involve minimal hands-on experimentation. Originally written for a first grade classroom, this unit was created in order to make force and motion come alive for students. In addition to mastering grade level vocabulary terms, children will be designing four types of cars running on balloon power, a reaction between utilizing Diet Coke and Mentos, a reaction of baking soda and vinegar, as well as on solar power. Students will document each experiment conducted and will use force and motion vocabulary when making observations. At the same time students are mastering force and motion curriculum, students will be fully engaged in the scientific process and learn the correct steps in the scientific method. This unit also includes multi-subject area integration through the inclusion of measurement and graphing. To incorporate language arts standards, students will be journaling each step of the process. If you are looking for an engaging way to introduce the scientific process and basic physics concepts, this unit is a great addition to your science curriculum.
Home