Grade Range
Kindergarten
Group Size
2-3 students
Active Time
60 minutes
Total Time
60 minutes
Area of Science
Physics
Key Concepts
Push, pull, motion
Learning Objectives
  • Categorize actions as either pushes or pulls.
  • Demonstrate, explain, and predict how pushes and pulls can start, stop, or change the direction of an object's motion.
  • Demonstrate, explain, and predict how a stronger push or pull can create a bigger change in an object's motion.
Credits
Sabine De Brabandere, PhD, Science Buddies
Outline of a child pulling a small wagon

Overview

Your kindergarten students are used to moving objects. They throw balls, play with toy cars, and sweep the floor, but how much do they think about these actions? In this fun, hands-on lesson, you will use a game (rolling balls) to explore how pushing and pulling affects an object's motion.

This lesson can be expanded with a second lesson exploring how objects can push each other, and how weight influences motion.

NGSS Alignment

This lesson helps students prepare for these Next Generation Science Standards Performance Expectations:
  • K-PS2-1. Plan and conduct an investigation to compare the effects of different strengths or different directions of pushes and pulls on the motion of an object.
This lesson focuses on these aspects of NGSS Three Dimensional Learning:

Science & Engineering Practices Disciplinary Core Ideas Crosscutting Concepts
Planning and Carrying out Investigations. With guidance, plan and conduct an investigation in collaboration with peers.
 PS2.A: Forces and Motion. Pushes and pulls can have different strengths and directions.
Pushing or pulling on an object can change the speed or direction of its motion and can start or stop it.

PS3.C: Relationship Between Energy and Forces. A bigger push or pull makes things speed up or slow down more quickly.
 Cause and Effect. Simple tests can be designed to gather evidence to support or refute student ideas about causes.
Next: Materials

Materials


A rope, three tennis balls and a soccer ball
  • Rope to play tug-of-war
  • Balls; 1 per group. Tennis balls work well. Bigger balls like basketball or soccer balls are fine too.
  • Soccer or basketball, 1 to be used to demonstrate to the class.
Next: Teacher Prep

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Grade Range
Kindergarten
Group Size
2-3 students
Active Time
60 minutes
Total Time
60 minutes
Area of Science
Physics
Key Concepts
Push, pull, motion
Credits
Sabine De Brabandere, PhD, Science Buddies
Learning Objectives
  • Categorize actions as either pushes or pulls.
  • Demonstrate, explain, and predict how pushes and pulls can start, stop, or change the direction of an object's motion.
  • Demonstrate, explain, and predict how a stronger push or pull can create a bigger change in an object's motion.
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