Science is one of my favourite subjects! The students love to be engaged in activities that deepen their curiosity about the natural and constructed world.
When creating my science units, I aim to engage student in inquiry about a topic. The unit has ample opportunities to:
- ask questions about objects, organisms, and events in the
environment
- plan and conduct a simple investigation
- use simple equipment and tools to gather data
- use data to construct a reasonable explanation
- communicate investigations and explanations
- promote enjoyment of science
My science units often have a presentation to focus the inquiry and introduce each concept. It is often a discussion starter, so I display the relevant slide at the beginning of the lesson.
In my
Motion and Position unit, the concept of friction is introduced. We had discussed the definition of friction as the contact force between two objects moving against each other. Now we needed to explore this concept with concrete examples. Sometimes friction is needed to slow us down. We talked about how running shoes help us on the gym floor during a lively game of tag and how winter boots help us when we step onto a patch of ice. The slide serves as starting point for our discussion and inquiry of friction. We then progressed to explore friction through hands-on investigations.
In subsequent lessons, we explored other forces that impact motion. As we explored gravity, we discussed how we need to pedal our bicycle harder on an incline. We then tested this theory of gravity using created slopes and toy cars.
Explorations help solidify students' understanding of a concept and clear up confusions. Hands-on experiments allow students to test predictions, gather relevant data, and communicate their scientific learnings. In this exploration, we are exploring air resistance or drag.
Students are often surprised that the lighter piece lands first. This is a great opportunity to discuss drag. Resistance and friction cause changes in acceleration. Air resistance (drag) slowed down the heavier piece. Drag opposes the direction that the object is moving and slows it down.
To culminate the unit, we like to complete a hands-on project to show off our learnings. In this unit, the students build a roller coaster that can move a marble at least 2 different ways. They are provided materials and design with the following questions in mind:
- What factors affect the movement?
- Is there a pattern to the movement?
We also like to play a cooperative digital game! The unit contains questions for students to answer. The next slide shows the answer. It is a fun way to check what we have learned!
This unit,
Motion and Position, is available in my
TPT store. It includes slides, activities, and low-prep experiments featured in this post
AND MUCH MORE to help students explore motion - how things move, their relative position, and forces that impact movement. It is perfect for distance learning and can be easily uploaded to your digital classroom.
I hope this post shows how I teach science and helps you with ideas for your classroom. As mentioned at the beginning of this post, I love teaching science!
