Changes to
Push, Pull, Go
Since publication of the Push, Pull, Go Teacher’s Guide, corrections have been made to the information in the
unit’s printed materials. Please replace the corresponding pages in your text with the revised pages provided.
This errata set includes the following:
• Lesson 1, Background Information, pages 2–3
• Lesson 1, Student Activity Sheet 1A: Sort and Count
• Lesson 3, Background Information, page 28
Photocopy and distribute these new instruction pages as needed.
If you have questions about these changes or about the module in general, call Carolina’s product information
staff at 800-227-1150 (8 a.m.–5 p.m. ET, M–F), or email stc@carolina.com.
1105
Part E
1. Add 20 Unifix® cubes (10 red, 10 blue) to each
bucket.
2. Make one copy of Student Activity Sheet 1C: How
Far? for each student.
3. Make one copy of the Learning Cycle Letter for
each student.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Push, Pull, Go
The intention of this unit is for students to explore force and motion. Specific vocabulary is
included in the background for the teacher, and science-specific vocabulary appropriate
for the kindergarten classroom is listed in the vocabulary section of each lesson. However,
students are not expected to remember and use each of the specific vocabulary words
but to begin building an understanding of the concepts explored. “Teachers can build on
the intuitive notions of students without requiring them to memorize technical definitions”
(National Science Education Standards, Content Standards: K–4).
Force
A force is any push or pull. Students push a ball and the ball moves; the harder the push,
the greater the move. The ball travels in a straight line unless another force causes it to
stop or change direction.
With ample time to explore, students collect evidence to build the concept that the ball
always rolls in a straight line until another force stops the ball or changes its direction.
Systems
The ramp and the rolling ball are part of a system. A system is a group of related parts that
work together. A force (a push) sets the ball in motion. The student’s hand pushing the ball
is a force that acts on this system. Friction and gravity are also forces acting on this system.
Friction
Friction is the force of two objects rubbing together. There are lots of things rubbing
together in this system (e.g., the ball is rubbing against the floor and the floor is rubbing
against the ball, the ball is rubbing against the air and the air is rubbing against the ball).
Friction is the main force stopping the ball, but gravity plays a part too.
Gravity
Gravity is the invisible force that pulls on objects on or near the earth’s surface. Gravity
pulls objects toward the earth’s surface (the ground) unless something else gets in the
way. For example, when a force (a push) starts the ball rolling down the ramp, gravity will
pull the ball to the ground (the floor) every single time unless something else stops it (e.g.,
a student reaches out and stops the ball before it hits the ground). At this grade level,
students have an intuitive sense of gravity and how it affects the motion of objects.
2
PUSH, PULL, GO
Background Information, continued
Newton’s Laws of Motion
Sir Isaac Newton developed three laws explaining the predictable way that things move.
These laws are explained below only to help teachers more thoroughly understand the
concepts of force and motion. Student emphasis is on exploring, observing, and using a
rich vocabulary to describe how objects move and the pushes and pulls (the forces) that
move them.
The First Law of Motion (Inertia): An object that is moving keeps moving in a straight line
until a force (a push or a pull) stops it or changes its direction. An object that is not moving
won’t move at all until a push or pull (a force) starts it moving.
The Second Law of Motion: The greater the push or pull (force) on an object, the greater
the change in motion. An object with more mass (the amount of stuff in it) takes a greater
force (push or pull) to stop it or change its direction than an object of the same size with
less mass traveling at the same speed. For example, think about a bowling ball and a
basketball. It takes a greater push to start a resting bowling ball moving than to start a
resting basketball in motion. It also takes more force to stop or change the direction of a
moving bowling ball than a moving basketball. Which has more mass, a basketball or a
bowling ball? Which has more stuff in it? The bowling ball has a greater mass than
the basketball.
The Third Law of Motion: For every action, there is an opposite but equal reaction. Think
of this example: Two kids, about the same size, are seated on scooter boards facing each
other with palms together. One child gently pushes the other child away. As a result of one
child’s push, both kids move away from each other. And, they move away about the same
distance. The action: a gentle force, a push; the reaction: the push pushes back and both
kids move in opposite directions.
LESSON NOTES
LESSON 1
PUSH, PULL, ROLL
3
Student Activity Sheet 1A: Sort and Count
This bucket belongs to
1. Sort
2. Count
3. Match
Red
Color
7
1
How
Many?
Shape
Orange
and
How
Many?
5
Color
2
Shape
2
Yellow
7
Purple
1
Color
Blue
White
2
Green
How
Many?
Red
5
Shape
Blue
Push, Pull, Roll
Lesson 1
©2011 Carolina Biological Supply Company
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Dominos in Motion
One push sets a row of dominos falling down one after another in a predictable pattern. The
parts of this system are the eight dominos, gravity, inertia, and a student’s push.
A young scientist pushes the first domino in the line. The energy in the push is transferred
from one domino to the next. The push has more force than the tendency for the domino to
stay upright (inertia), and gravity takes over to pull the domino toward the ground.
Building an Understanding of Systems
Can parts of this system be removed? We can’t remove the forces (friction and gravity)
acting on the system, but we can remove dominos. The system works with fewer pieces as
long as the pieces are set up so each will touch the next one in line as a push sets all the
pieces (dominos) in motion.
If students set up eight dominos
so that the system works, then
remove dominos to make big
spaces in the line, this changes
the system. With big gaps
between the dominos, one push
cannot set the entire line in
motion. Likewise, a set of eight
dominos that are not carefully
aligned cannot be set in motion
with a single push.
The eight-domino sets provide
countless opportunities for
students to collect evidence
about how missing or improperly
working pieces affect a system.
28
PUSH, PULL, GO