Alisa Potter 1

Force & Motion Lesson Plan

Three Little Pigs & Motion Experiment

Introduction
Lesson topic Force & Motion
Length of Lesson 30 minutes
VA Standards of Learning
4.2 The student will investigate and understand characteristics an
interactions of moving objects. Key concepts include
a) motion is described by an objects direction and speed;
b) changes in motion are related to force and mass;
c) friction is a force that opposes motion; and
d) moving objects have kinetic energy.
Context This SOL strand focuses on student understanding of what force,
motion, and energy are and how the concepts are connected.
Global Themes There are many forces at work in the world so it is important to
understand how these forces work and impact functions in everyday life such as
driving a vehicle or building a structure.

Content Objectives
Students will:
Investigate the effect of the force on items of varying masses, shapes, and sizes.

Assessment Aligned to Objectives
Formative
The teacher will ask key questions such as:
o Does a heavier object require more force to move it?
o Does the same amount of force act differently on a item with more mass
than an item with less mass.
o What is the measure of motion?
o What does speed describe?
o What is motion? What is acceleration?
Summative
Students will record data from experiment regarding the motion of the various
objects tested and answer response questions.

Materials/Technology and Advanced Preparation
Vocabulary flashcards
Book: The True Story of The Three Little Pigs as told by Jon Scieszka, illustrated
by Lane Smith
Copies of Motion Experiment recording and response sheet
Materials for motion experiment:
o Straws
o Marbles
o Playground ball
o Tennis balls
o Foam balls
o Dice
o Balloons
Alisa Potter 2
o Feathers
o Wooden spheres
o Wooden cubes

Teaching and Learning Sequence

TIME TEACHER ACTIONS STUDENT ACTIONS
Introduction/Anticipatory Set
5 min Ask students to review their flashcards as students
get settled in after social studies.
Review key terms from previous lesson with
students. Ask what is motion? position?
Ask students to take out speed, gravity, mass, and
work cards, read them and leave them out on their
desks because they will be important words for
todays lesson.
Review flashcards.

Lesson Development
15 min Bring students attention to board and pass out
Speed notes. Work with students to fill in the blanks
in the notes. See key attached.
Tell students that they are going to do a force and
motion experiment. Tell them that you are going to
read The True Story of The Three Little Pigs and
while you are reading they should try to identify the
force and motion that take place in the story.
Read aloud book. Pause periodically to ask students
to make connections.
Ask students for the definition of force [something
that causes change in motion; a push or a pull]. Ask
if they have identified the force in the story
[sneezing/blowing]. Explain that wind is a type of
force. It pushed on the house.
Ask students for the definition of motion [the change
in an objects position over time]. Ask if they have
identified the motion in the story [the house was
blown down]. Explain that the force of the sneezed
pushed on the house and made it fall down.
Tell students that they will be work in groups, testing
the force of their wind by blowing on items through a
straw. Tell them that they will have make
observations and record their observations in the
recording sheet for each of the items tested. Once all
observations have been recorded they should
answer the questions at the bottom of the sheet.
Work with the teacher to complete
notes.






Listen to read aloud and try to
identify the force and motion in the
story.
Offer definition of force. Offer
ideas about what the force was in
the story.

Offer definition of motion. Offer
ideas about what the motion was
in the story.


Conduct experiment. Take turns
blowing on items through a straw
to try to move them. Record
observations on sheet and answer
response questions.
Closure
5 min Hold a class discussion about their observations. Ask
if they noticed if they items that were heavier or had
more mass didnt move as much? Did they require
more force? Emphasize that items with less mass
require less force to move and that items with more
mass require more force to move.
If there is extra time: have students review their flash
cards.
Discuss the outcomes of their
investigations.




Review flash cards.
Alisa Potter 3

Lesson Organizer

Prior Knowledge and NEW Instructional Content
Prior Knowledge
Simple machines are tools that make work easier. Examples of tasks made easier include lifting a heavy weight, moving a
heavy object over a distance, pushing things apart, changing the direction of a force, or holding an object together.
The six simple machines are the lever, inclined plane, wedge, wheel and axle, screw, and pulley.
The lever is a stiff bar that moves about a fixed point (fulcrum). It is a simple machine that is used to push, pull, or lift things.
Examples include a seesaw, crowbar, and shovel.
The inclined plane is a flat surface that is raised so one end is higher than the other. The inclined plane helps move heavy
objects up or down. An example is a ramp.
The wedge is wide at one end and pointed at the other to help cut or split other objects. Examples include a knife or ax.
The wheel and axle consists of a rod attached to a wheel. A wheel and axle makes it easier to move or turn things.
Examples include bicycle wheels, roller skates, and a door knob.
The screw is an inclined plane wrapped around a cylinder or cone. A common use of the screw is to hold objects together.
Examples include a jar lid and wood screw.
The pulley is a wheel that has a rope wrapped around it. Pulleys can be used to lift heavy objects by changing the direction
or amount of the force. Examples include a flagpole.
A compound machine is a combination of two or more simple machines. Examples include scissors, wheelbarrow, and
bicycle.

New Content:
The position of an object can be described by locating it relative to another object or to the background.
Tracing and measuring an objects position over time can describe its motion.
Speed describes how fast an object is moving.
Energy may exist in two states: kinetic or potential.
Kinetic energy is the energy of motion.
A force is any push or pull that causes an object to move, stop, or change speed or direction.
The greater the force, the greater the change in motion will be. The more massive an object, the less effect a given force wi ll
have on the object.
Friction is the resistance to motion created by two objects moving against each other. Friction creates heat.
Unless acted on by a force, objects in motion tend to stay in motion and objects at rest remain at rest.
Isaac Newton, who was an important scientist, came up with three laws of motion.
According to Newton's first law... An object at rest will remain at rest unless acted on by an unbalanced force. An
object in motion continues in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an
unbalanced force. This law is often called "the law of inertia".
According to Newton's second law... Acceleration is produced when a force acts on a mass. The greater the mass (of
the object being accelerated) the greater the amount of force needed (to accelerate the object).
According to Newton's third law... For every action there is an equal and opposite re-action.

Instructional Modifications to
ASSIST Students
Main Events of Instruction
Instructional Modifications to
CHALLENGE Students

The notes are scaffolded.

The motion experiment is hands-on
and interactive appealing to the
kinesthetic learners.

The experiment provides a first hand
experience which will help students
better understand the concepts.
Review flash cards
Complete Speed notes
Read aloud
Conduct motion experiment and record
observations
Hold a class discussion about the results of
the experiment.
Review terms with flash cards.