Berewick Elementary Science Lab 1st Unit Planning
Kindergarten:
Topic: Forces in Motion
Essential Standard:
K.P.1. Understand the positions and
motions of objects and organisms
observed in the environment
Clarifying Objectives:
K.P.1.1. Compare the relative position of
various objects observed in the classroom
and outside using position words such as:
in front of, behind, between, on top of,
above, below and beside.
K.P.1.2. Give examples of different ways
objects and organisms move to include
falling to the ground when dropped):
 Straight
 Zigzag
 Round and round
 Back and forth
 Fast and slow
Support for Reading:
Scholastic Guided Reading Nonfiction Books: ‘Hop In’, “Up, Up, and Away”,
“Make It Move”, “Why Can’t I Fly?
Writing:
W1- Students will write a sentence telling if they think it is easier
to push or pull an object, and why.
W2- Students will write a sentence explaining how an object can
move.
Common Assessment: (formal and
informal)
Informal - Students can use position
words to compare location, and give
examples of different ways things move.
Formal - Hand student a small ball. Ask the
student to answer the questions and perform
the following tasks: (1) What will happen if
you let go of the ball? (2)Show me what will
happen. (3)Make the ball move in a straight
line. (4) Move the ball in a zigzag line. (5)
Make the ball go round and round. (6) Move
it back and forth. (7) Move the ball fast. (8)
Move the ball slowly.
1st Grade:
Topics: Force and Motion
Essential Standard:
1.P.1Understand how forces (pushes or
pulls) affect the motion of an object.
Clarifying Objectives:
1.P.1.1 Explain the importance of a push
or pull to changing the motion of an
object.
1.P.1.2 Explain how some forces (pushes
and pulls) can be used to make things
move without touching them, such as
magnets.
1.P.1.3 Predict the effect of a given force
on the motion of an object, including
balanced forces.
Support for Reading:
I Fall Down by Vicki Cobb
Mama Zooms by Jane Cowen-Fletcher
Roll, Slope, slide: A book about ramps by Michael Dahl,
Rolling by Patricia Whitehouse.
Writing:
W1- Students will write a short paragraph telling if they think it is
easier to push or pull an object, and why they think that.
W2- Cut out objects from magazines that can be pushed or
pulled. Then sort on a venn diagram push, pull and push, and pull
objects.
Then have the students write about why each picture belongs in
each group.
Assessment: (formal and informal)
Informal: Demonstrate types of force using
touch. Change the speed and direction of a
moving object.
Formal: Place the following objects on a
table: feather, small car, paper clip, wooden
cylinder or bowling pin. Also, have a small
ramp, a ball, and a magnet. Tell students they
must move each object without touching it.
They may use the tools. Suggested answers:
blow the feather, put car at top of the ramp
so it can roll down itself, use the magnet to
pull the paper clip, and roll the ball to knock
down the cylinder.
2nd Grade:
Topics: Matter: Properties & Changes
Essential Standard:
2.P.2 Understand properties of solids and
liquids and the changes they undergo.
Clarifying Objectives:
2.P.2.1 Give examples of matter that
change from a solid to a liquid and from a
liquid to a solid by heating and cooling.
2.P.2.2 Compare the amount (volume and
weight) of water in a container before
and after freezing.
2.P.2.3 Compare what happens to water
left in an open container over time as to
water left in a closed container.
Assessment: (formal and informal)
Informal - Teacher provides various
examples of solids and liquids. Students
provide describing vocabulary.
Support for Reading:
http://www.neok12.com/States-of-Matter.htm
http://science.pppst.com/matter.html
http://www.pdesas.org/module/content/resources/16154/view.ashx
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/teachers/ks2_lessonplans/science/chan
ging_state.shtml
www.discoveryeducation.com
Writing:
W1- Prompt
Thinking about the method you used to make your water evaporate
from the paper towel, would you choose this method again or choose
another method and why?
W2- Prompt
How do you know a solid is a solid? Use the vocabulary words you used
during this unit.
3rd Grade:
Topic: Matter
Essential Standard:
3.P.2 Understand the structure and
properties of matter before and after
they undergo a change.
Clarifying Objectives:
3.P.2.1 Recognize that air is a substance
that surrounds us, takes up space and has
mass.
3.P.2.2 Compare solids, liquids, and gases
based on their basic properties.
3.P.2.3 Summarize changes that occur to
the observable properties of materials
when different degrees of heat are
applied to them, such as melting ice or ice
cream, boiling water or an egg, or
freezing water.
Assessment: (formal and informal)
Informal- I will act out, with other
students, the movement of solid, liquid,
and gasparticles using a hula hoop.
(Students = Particles)
‐ I will act out solid particles by standing
inside the hula hoop with as manyother
students as we can get squashed inside,
so no one can move.
‐ I will act out liquid particles by standing
inside the hula hoop with ½ asmany
students as were in the solid hula hoop.
We will move around slowlywithin the
hula hoop.
‐ I will act out gas particles by standing
inside the hula hoop with ½ as
manystudents as were in the liquid hula
hoop. We will move around quicklywithin
the hula hoop.
‐ I will discuss, with my peers, why the
particles in liquids move faster thansolids
and why gas particles move faster than
both solids and liquids.
FormalW2 Writing Prompt
Support for Reading:
http://classroom.jc-schools.net/sci-units/matter.htm
http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/phy03.sci.phys.descwr
ld.air/
Writing:
W1- Prompt
If you could be any object-solid, liquid or gas, why would you be
that object, and what
would you be able to do?
W2- Prompt
At the science lab today, your teacher was talking about items
that can change from a solid to a liquid, a liquid to a gas, or go
through all three stages of matter. She used water as an
example. Identify another item that can change its state of
matter and how it can do that.
4th Grade:
Support for Reading:
Reading Passage
http://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?guidAssetId=FB
89272C-FF6C-4489-BD8E3DDB047C4FB3&blnFromSearch=1&productcode=DSCE
Topics: Force and Motion
Essential Standard:
4.P.1.1 Magnetism
Explain how magnets interact with all
things made of iron and with other
Reading Passage
magnets to produce motion without
http://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?guidAssetId=5A
touching them.
D2D7D8-772F-41E7-AC82Clarifying Objectives:
17BA31ECFA69&blnFromSearch=1&productcode=DSCE
4.P.1.1
Explain how magnets interact with all things made of
Explain how magnets interact with all things made of
iron and with other magnets to produce motion
iron and with other magnets to produce motion
without touching them.
without touching them.
4.P.1.2
Explain how electrically charged objects push or pull
Writing:
Explain how electrically charged objects push
or pull
on other electrically charged objects and produce
W1Think
of
an
invention that has more than one purpose. For
on other electrically charged objects and produce
motion.
example, a radio gives information and entertains. Then, write a
motion.
letter to your classmates explaining the invention and how it can
best be used.
Assessment: (formal and informal)
Informal- Students will be able to show
W2- Explain how a magnet will pick up materials from cereal.
how to make a complete circuit that will
light a bulb.
FormalStudents will write two journal responses.
1. How does a light bulb turn on?
2. How does a magnet create motion?
5th Grade:
Topics: Force and Motion
Essential Standard:
5.P.1 Understand force, motion and the
relationship between them.
Clarifying Objectives:
5.P.1.1 Explain how factors such as
gravity, friction, and change in mass affect
the motion of objects.
5.P.1.2 Infer the motion of objects in
terms of how far they travel in a certain
amount of time and the direction in which
they travel.
5.P.1.3 Illustrate the motion of an object
using a graph to show a change in
position over a period of time.
5.P.1.4 Predict the effect of a given force
or a change in mass on the motion of an
object.
Support for Reading:
Discovery Ed Passages: “May the Force be With You”, “Speed
Racers”.
Discovery Ed Passages: “A Wheel than Never Stops Spinning”,
“The Ocean Star”.
Writing:
W1- Writing Prompt
Some people think school buses ought to have seat belts. Do you
agree with this, or not? Write an essay explaining your opinion
and your reasons for having it.
W2- Writing Prompt
Write an essay describing three pieces of playground equipment
(swing, teeter-totter, slide, monkey bars). Explain how each piece
of equipment works. Make sure to cite the simple machines that
are in each piece of equipment.
Assessment: (formal and informal)
Informal- Students will be able to show
how to make a complete circuit that will
light a bulb.
FormalStudents will write two journal responses.
1. How does a light bulb turn on?
2. How does a magnet create motion?