Forces and Motion in

Pre-K Special Needs

Science & Engineering Disciplinary Core Ideas Crosscutting Concept
Practice (Content)

Planning and carrying out Pre-K Special and

SC4.4b Investigates Needs Cause and effect:
investigations describes different types or Mechanism and explanation
speeds of motion.
 Main Source
http://www.mccracken.kyschools.us/Downloads/PUSHES%20and%20PU
LLS%20-K.pdf

McCracken County School

 Make up of class
This is a pre-k special need preschool class. All students have IEPs.
There are 7 full day students. Two students are in class on Monday and
Friday only.
There are two teacher assistants and one lead teacher.
 Misconceptions
- All things fall down, but heavy things fall faster. (we are not assessing gravity, but
could be a common misconception.)
- The speed of an object is directly related to the force currently applied.
- If an object is moving, there is a force acting on it in the direction of motion.
- Constant motion requiers a constant force.
- Everyday experience suggests that objects set into motion eventually come to a
stop
when no obvious external force acts on them.
Assessment
 What is Motion?
Lesson 1
Engage: can you help me move a table?
Explore: Can objects move on their own? and then, I wonder the different ways
we can make objects move?. Investigate around the room.
Explain: discuss findings and then read the book Motion, by Darlene R. Stille.
Extend: draw objects and talk about how they move.
Evaluate: Assessment will be through classroom discussions, exploration
observations, and sharing findings with peers.
 Pushes and Pulls
lesson 2
Engage: give toys and ask how did it work?, what happened when you
pulled/pushed it?
Explore: a hunting we will go. Find things in the classroom that you can push or
pull or push and pull.
Explain: seseamestreat.org/STEM video and Jack Hartman song Push and Pull
Extend: on playground; practice pushing doing pushups; practice pulling by doing
pullups (on the monkey bars)
Evaluate: through activity observations and questioning.
 Force investigation
lesson 3
Engage: use ramp toy with cars.
Explore: Slide experiment/use the I wonder sheet/record data
Explain: discuss the results of the experiment.
Extend: go around room pushing hard and soft on objects and talking about
distance.
Evaluate: The students answers to questions during the extend activity will be the
evaluation needed to assess their understanding of the concept of pushing, push as
a force, relations between force and speed.
 Speed
Lesson 4
Engage: Ramp toy and cars
Explore: build a ramp and see which car go the fastest.
Explain: Watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfeVlNL7d9U on
youtube
Extend: do the same experiment but add different textures to the ramps.
Evaluate: through activity observations and questioning.