Lesson Plan Template
Tricia Nasser
PLANNING THE LESSON - Part 1
Date: Monday November 4, 2019 Day 3
Grade: 3
Timeframe (time available): 12:20-1:20, 2:00-2:30
Curriculum Area: Science
Title of Unit (if appropriate): Forces and Motion
Context: Introductory Lesson (1) to Unit
Learning Expectations: Students will understand basic scientific and technology concepts; Students will
develop inquiry skills, design and communication; Students will relate science and technology to their
environment and in a global context.
Academic:
2.1 follow established safety protocols during science and technology investigations.
2.3 conduct investigations to determine the effects of increasing or decreasing the amount of force applied
to an object (tug of war, opening a door).
2.5 use appropriate science and technology vocabulary, including push and pull, force, gravity, contact
and non -contact.
Social (optional): collaborating and engaging in discussion with peers.
Big Ideas: Exploring the various types of forces that cause movement.
Connections to Equity, Diversity, and Social Justice:
Cross-curricular connections/Connections to students’ lives (local/global):
Assessment:
Anecdotal notes
Self reflection sheet for students
Discussion participation
Accommodations and Modifications – Differentiated Instruction:
Seat students who need support in areas where they can receive support (closer to a peer that they work
well with together or closer to the front to hear and see instructions, using visuals). Provide extra time for
students. Teach new vocabulary
Materials/Resources:
1 cotton ball per group, markers, elastic bands, popsicle sticks, straws, paper, tape
Homework/ Reminders/Personal Notes:
N/A
DELIVERING THE LESSON - Part 2
Note: Timing & Grouping
Mental Set
Pose question to students: “ How could you force me to leave the room?”
Sharing the Purpose/Objectives
The purpose of this activity is to identify and investigate the forces of push and pull
Body: (Input, Modeling, Check for Understanding, Guided Practice, Independent Practice)
Brain Storm on chart paper: What is force?
Pose a question to students “ How will you Force me to leave the room”.
Provide students with time to develop strategies with a partner (Think/pair/share/ elbow partner)
then have them share their ideas. (The ideas have to involve movement with either contact or non
–contact examples, not verbal cues such as bribery).
Come back to large group and discuss what the yes answers had in common. Have the students
begin to define the term force in more detail and come up with a class definition.
Show pictures of force being used during play to help reinforce their definition (asking guiding
questions to promote student’s thinking- “what makes something or someone move? What kinds
of pushes do you need to play on a swing?)
Ask the students “ What forces might you use in play?” and provide students with a blank piece
of paper and have them come up with push and pull examples that they would see in the
playground, at home and in their community.
Explain to students that they will fold their paper in half and write the words Pull on one side of
the paper and push on the other side.
Allow the students to come up with at least 6 examples for each.
Bring the students back to large group so that each group has a chance (if they wish) to share one
example of a push or pull force.
Introduce science experiment criteria (hypothesis, experiment (controlled tests and variables),
observations, analyze and conclusion (create a graphic organizer). These are the steps students
will follow when engaging in a science experiment
Introduce safety procedures and talk about what students will need to do to be safe when
completing science experiments. Have the students create the success criteria.
Introduce cotton ball experiment, if there is time before gym we will start the experiment and
continue after, if there is no time before gym we will conduct the experiment after gym.
Cotton ball experiment: students will need to work in pairs providing them with enough time to
come up with ways to move the cotton ball using various materials. Asking “what force did you
use to move the cotton ball? Did you pull or push and why?
Draw a picture to show how you forced the cotton ball across the finish line. (Have the students
write this on the back of their push and pull sheet.
Closure
Wrap up activity with reinforcing the definition of forces and add to science word chart.
Homework/ Reminders/ Reflections: Include Successes, Challenges, Changes, Next Steps.
Look to see where you can find push or pull forces at home, on your way home, in daycare and
outside.
