NGSS Performance Expectation(s):

3-PS2-1: Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced
forces on the motion of an object.

Describe your anchoring Phenomena: A person on a swing moves back and forth and up and down when
pushed.
What is the How or Why Driving Question Students will work to answer about the anchoring
phenomena? Why does a person swinging move back and forth and up and down?

Experienc
es

WHAT STUDENTS
DO: DATA
COLLECTION
Opportunities to
collect observations,
examples or
measurable data
about phenomena in
the world through
shared classroom
experiences

WHAT STUDENTS
DO: DATA
REPRESENTATION
AND ANALYSIS
Discussions/Activi
ties to Support
Student Sensemaking for
patterns
Sharing, organizing,
representing and
analyzing data
and/or observations
to find patterns

Students will predict

how applying no
force to a hundreds
block affects the

Students will explain

that the block did
not move.
Students will record

Patterns
WHAT STUDENTS
LEARN FROM
EXPERIENCES AND E>P: EXPECTED
RESULTS OF DATA
ANALYSIS
Patterns, laws,
categories, relationships
and generalizations
across lesson
experiences which
clarify and represent
what happened

Objects at rest remain

at rest when no force is
applied.

WHAT STUDENTS DO:

ARGUMENTATION/EVID
ENCE-BASED
REASONING
Discussions/Activities
to Support Student
Sense-making for
explanations
Making generalizations
from patterns about the
specific phenomena in
the experience to
explaining how and/or
why this happens across
other contexts in the
world

Balanced forces means

you have forces that
cancel each other out, so
there is no motion. What

Explanatio
ns
WHAT STUDENTS
LEARN FROM
PATTERNS AND P
->E: EXPLANATIONS
Grade-level
appropriate
explanations, scientific
models, scientific
theories which
generalize beyond
specific
objects/experiences
described in the
patterns to answer
questions about how
or why phenomena
occur in the natural
world
Objects at rest remain
at rest when balanced
forces are applied.
Objects at rest move
when unbalanced

motion of a block.
They will observe
this.
Students will predict
how applying one
push to different
sides of a hundreds
block affects the
motion of the block.
Then they will
investigate this.
Students will predict
how two students
applying pushes to
opposite sides of a
hundreds block
affects the motion of
the block. Then they
will investigate this.
Students will predict
how applying one
regular push and one
weak push to
opposite sides of a
hundreds block
affects the motion of
the block. Then they
will investigate this.
Students will watch
me drop a hundreds
block.

the data collected in

their investigations.
What do the
direction of the
force and the
motion have in
common?
Students will record
the data collected in
their investigations.
They will star any
instances in which
there was no
motion.
Students will record
the data collected in
their investigations.
How did
changing the
size of the force
you applied
change the
motion of the
block?
Students will
observe that the
block falls to the
floor.
Why did the
block fall to
the floor?
Why didnt
the block fall
to the floor
when it was
on the table?

Motion can be predicted

when the forces being
applied are known.
Equal forces applied to
opposite sides of a
hundreds block will
result in zero net force,
and there will be no
motion.
Two forces can be
added together to
create a force that can
affect the direction or
speed of motion.
Gravity is a downward
force that causes
objects to be pulled
towards Earth. Objects
will fall down if they are
in midair. They will not
fall down if they are
sitting on a flat surface.
When an object in motion
collides with another object,
the motion changes.
Objects attached to some sort
of string that is attached to
something that stays still can
only reach as far as the string
reaches.

are some examples of

balanced forces you
discovered during your
investigations with the
hundreds block?
Pushing on opposite
sides
Hundreds block
sitting on desk
Why is this an
example of
balanced forces?
What are some other
examples of balanced
forces that you can think
of?
Unbalanced forces
means you have forces
that do not cancel each
other out, so they cause
motion. What are some
examples of unbalanced
forces you discovered
during your
investigations with the
hundreds block?
Individual push on
one side
Two pushes on the
block that are not
the same strength
A block in the air
falling because of
gravity and nothing
holding it up

forces are applied.

Objects in motion
change motion when
other forces are
applied. Objects
attached to a rope or
similar item that is
attached to something
else can only move as
far as the rope lets
them move. Motion
can be predicted
based on the direction
and strength of the
forces.

Students will roll a

marble back and
forth with a partner.
Then they will roll a
marble back and
forth with a partner,
having to bounce it
off a hundreds block
on the way.
Some students will
have had the
experience of
walking a dog.
Partners will be given
a piece of paper with
a string taped to the
center of it and a
crayon tied to the
end. One partner will
hold the tape down,
and the other partner
will color everywhere
the crayon will reach.
Students will watch a
clip of bungee
running from
https://www.youtube.
com/watch?
v=b5ujKcDUUQ0.

Students will
observe that the
marble stops.
Why did the
marble roll?
Why did the
marble stop?
Students will
observe that the
marble hits the
hundreds block and
then switches
direction.
What made
the marble
change
directions?

Why might
you attach a
leash to your
dog when you
bring it
outside?
Where could
the crayon
reach? What
was the
farthest the
crayon could
go?
Why cant the
girl get her
marker back?
Why does the
bungee only
let them run
that far? Why
do they get
pulled

What are some other

examples of
unbalanced forces that
you can think of?
Discuss why objects in
motion change motion
when they collide with
other objects.
Why could the crayon
go in a circle, but the
bungee only go in a
straight line? What
does this have to do
with the swing that we
watched at the
beginning of this unit?

backwards?
What do these have
in common?

APPLY EXPLANATION TO NEW PHENOMENA:

Watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYc7kHXW0xg to see how a bungee jumper falls, then goes back up, then falls,
then goes back up, then falls, etc.
Students should be able to explain that the bungee jumper did not move until they stepped out into midair, and therefore
gravity was not balanced out anymore. Then the bungee jumper fell until the bungee could not stretch anymore. Then the
elastic bungee pulled the jumper back up because the pull was stronger than gravity. Then the gravity became stronger
than the elastic pull, so the jumper fell back down. Etc.

Instructional Sequence:

Date
or
Lesso
n
Numb
er

3/7/16

3/9/16

Activity Description

Function

Activity Modifications

Descriptions for each activity should include enough detail to

recreate the activity in your absence, and should include
question prompts and probes you plan to use during the
lesson activities as well as how you plan to scaffold small and
large group discussions to enable students to share and
respond to one anothers thinking and ideas. Your instructional
sequence chart should represent an entire instructional sequence,
which is generally approximately 10 days worth of science lessons.
Remember that for each day of teaching, you may have several
activities planned.

What part of the EPE is this?

Experiences
E -> P
P -> E
Application

Explain how you created or

modified an activity from the
curriculum to best fit:
NGSS Performance
Expectation
The EPE model
your students nave or
beginning explanations
from your preassessment
your students previous
experiences and funds
of knowledge
the cognitive, physical,
linguistic, or social
needs of specific
individual students (not
groups!)

In a whole-group discussion, I will ask my students why a person on a

swing moves back and forth and up and down. I will show them a
video of my focal student swinging to help them think about why this
phenomenon occurs; they will also be able to use the video to help
them explain their thinking verbally.
Probing questions to get students thinking deeper:
What makes the swing start?
What makes the swing stop?
Why does the swing change directions?
Show me the motion with your finger. Why does it move that
way?
I will give each student a drawing of a person on a swing and ask
them to draw the path of the swing. I will collect these drawings and
make copies so that I can keep a copy of how they thought the swing
would move and they can keep their original copies in their work
folder. They will be instructed that they make take out these drawings
at any time during the unit to add things or change things about how
they think the swing would move based on what we are learning.
Place hundreds blocks on the students desks before they come in
from recess. In a whole-group discussion, I will ask, What is a force?
What does it do? When students have described that a force is some
type of push or pull that causes motion, I will ask, How do you think

Anchoring phenomena/
Driving question

Preparing for experiences

My curriculum asks the

students to describe the motion
of a swing, but only has them
describe two positions and
change in position as
scaffolding. There is a lot more
to the motion of the swing than
two positions, and it is a great
phenomenon to use to talk
about many aspects of motion.
My students will use this
phenomenon to focus their
future explorations about
motion in this unit.

I modified this from the

curriculum to fit my
performance expectation. The
performance expectation

you could change the force so that you change the motion? After
letting them think and talk in partners, I will ask them to share any
really good ideas that their partner had. Students will be examining
how applying no force, applying one push to different sides of an
object, applying two equal pushes to opposite sides of an object,
applying two unequal pushes to opposite sides of an object, and
gravity affect the motion of an object. They will later examine how to
change the motion of an object that is already in motion. If they
mention any of these ideas, I will write them down on the big paper
stand. For any of these ideas that they do not mention, I will say, Im
wondering how insert idea would affect the motion of an object.
3/9/16

I will have the students go back to their desks, where the hundreds
blocks will be waiting for them. I will pass out the recording sheet,
and we will do the first few together. (They may do the rest with a
partner.)
In the force(s) column, we will write no force. In the direction
of force column, we will draw the block, but no forces. In the
strength of force column, we will cross out the box. In the
predicted motion column, students will predict how it will
move. We will observe the block with no force applied and
notice that it does not move. In the actual motion column, we
will draw the block and write no motion.
In the next row in the force(s) column, we will write one
push. In the direction of force column, we will draw the block
with an arrow indicating which side of the block will be pushed.
In the strength of force column, we will write normal. In the
predicted motion column, students will predict how it will
move. We will push the block on the indicated side and
observe how it moves. In the actual motion column, we will
draw the block and an arrow representing the direction of
motion.
In the next row in the force(s) column, we will write one
push. In the direction of force column, we will draw the block
with an arrow indicating which side of the block (a different
side) will be pushed. The students will do the rest of the single
pushes on their own.
Model how to do the investigation and recording sheet for
pushing two opposite sides. Let the students do the rest of this
step on their own.

requires that the student plan

and conduct an investigation,
rather than only conduct the
investigation already planned
by the curriculum. By having
this discussion prior to the
investigation, they will get to
help plan it as well.

Experiences
EP

I modified this from the

curriculum so that the
experience is a personal
experience, rather than a
second-hand experience from
watching someone else apply a
force and cause motion.

This will be much more

engaging for my student with
behavior problems and my
three students with attention
problems, as it will give them
something physical to do,
rather than be expected to
watch someone else do it and
pay attention.

Letting them work with a

partner will help my student
who wanders around the
classroom to talk to people
stay focused, as she is
expected to engage in a
conversation with the partner

3/10/16

3/11/16

Model how to do one strong push and one weak push in the
recording sheet and with the block. Let the students
investigate on their own and fill in the rest of the recording
sheet for this step.
Model how to fill out the recording sheet for dropping a block.
Students will watch me drop the block, and they will fill in the
recording sheet.
Discussion:
Looking at the four cases in which you only applied one push,
what do the direction of the force and the motion have in
common?
Looking at the four cases in which you applied a strong push
and a weak push, what was the motion like?
Star any cases in which there was no motion (there should be
3 cases). What do these cases have in common? Why does
this make sense?
In the last case, why did the block fall to the floor? Why didnt
the block fall to the floor when it was on the table? (I expect
the students to say that the table was holding it up.) But
gravity was pushing it down, so why didnt it fall down? (I
expect students to make the connection between this situation
and the cases in which there were two equal pushes from
opposite sides of the block and it did not move.)
Discussion:
Balanced forces means you have forces that cancel each other
out, so there is no motion. What are some examples of
balanced forces that you discovered during your investigations
with the hundreds block?
We noticed that when the hundreds block is sitting on the
table and we dont touch it, it has no motion, so this is an
example of balanced forces. Why is this an example of
balanced forces?
What are some other examples of balanced forces that you
can think of?
Unbalanced forces means you have forces that do not cancel
each other out, so they cause motion. What are some
examples of unbalanced forces you discovered during your
investigations with the hundreds block?
When is gravity an unbalanced force and when is it not? What

she is sitting next to.

EP

PE

Assessment

I modified the curriculum to

add an E P discussion.

I modified the curriculum to

add a P E discussion. This
discussion will give my
students an opportunity to
connect the patterns that they
have noticed in the activities
we have done in the classroom
to the explanations for why the
phenomenon happens in
general, leading to a much
deeper understanding of the
scientific phenomenon.

3/14/16

3/16/16

happens if it is not balanced out by another force?

Give formative assessment. Explain that every force must be
represented with an arrow and labeled and every motion must be
represented with an arrow and labeled.
Explain that everything the students experimented with earlier in the
week were cases in which the object was sitting still, and the students
applied a force to cause it to move. Ask: What if the thing was
already moving, and you applied a force to the object? How would
that change its motion? Give the students 15 seconds of think time
to consider this situation. Explain that partners will be rolling a marble
to each other, but the marble must stay on the desk. Send them to
their seats and pass out the marbles. Give them 30 seconds to pass
the marbles back and forth. Ask, How did you get the marble to stop
when it was rolling toward you? Have them pull out their recording
sheets and add this case. Pass out hundreds blocks. Explain that the
students must roll the marble to their partner again, but it must hit
the hundreds block on the way. Give them 30 seconds to pass the
marbles back and forth. Ask, What happened to the marbles path
when I added this rule? Students should be able to explain that the
marble changed directions. Why did it change directions? Students
should be able to explain that the block pushed against the marble.
If the block pushed this way against the marble, why didnt the
marble travel in the exact same direction? If they cannot answer this
question, let it go, and ask the question again the next day. Add this
case to the recording sheet.
Students are at their desks. How many of you have ever walked a
dog?
Why do you put the dog on a leash? How does the leash help? I
want you to keep that idea in the back of your head while we do this
next activity.
Pass out to each partner pair a piece of paper with a string taped to
the center and a crayon tied to the end of the string. Instruct one
partner to hold the tape to the paper to make sure the string does not
detach from where it is taped. Instruct the other partner to carefully
color everywhere the crayon will reach without bending the paper or
taking the crayon off the string.
Where could the crayon reach? What was the farthest the crayon

Experiences
EP

Experience
EP

Experience

E P

I modified this from the

curriculum so that the
experience is a personal
experience, rather than a
second-hand experience from
watching someone else apply a
force and cause motion.

I modified the curriculum by

adding in these activities to
supplement my students
understanding of the anchoring
phenomenon.

could go? Why? Keep that idea in the back of your head too while
we do this next activity.
Move students to the rug. Watch a clip of bungee running from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5ujKcDUUQ0. Explain that the
girls are attached to bungees, which are made of elastic.
Why cant the girl get her marker back? Why does the bungee only
let them run that far? Why do they get pulled backwards?

Experience

E P
EP

We just talked about why we keep a dog on a leash, why the crayon
could only color in a circle, and why the girls can only run a certain
distance until they get pulled backwards. What do these things all
have in common?
3/17/16

Discussion:

When we were thinking about a dog on a leash, a crayon on a

string, and a person on a bungee, what did we discover
yesterday? Thats right. Yesterday we discovered that a dog
can only go as far as a leash lets it go, a crayon tied to a string
can only color as far as the string lets it go, and a person
bungee running can only run as far as the bungee lets her
run.

Why could the crayon go in a circle, but the bungee only go in

a straight line?

What does this have to do with the swing that we watched at

the beginning of this unit?

Why does the swing move back and forth and up and down?
How does it move the way it does?

Go back and take 3 minutes to change your drawing so that it shows

everything that we have learned about forces and motion.
After giving them time to change their representation of the swings
motion and forces that cause it, I will draw a representation using the
document projector to let them check their work. The representation
will include a force to move the swing backwards to start, gravity
pulling the swing down (explain that since it is attached to the chains,

PE

I modified the curriculum to

add in more time to explain the
phenomenon introduced at the
beginning of the unit so that
my students have a chance to
apply everything they have
learned.

it can only move as far as the chains let it, and therefore it travels
downward in a circular motion), a push force from the speed to let the
swing travel forward and up (moving along the circular path that the
chain allows it to move), gravity pulling it back down, etc. If the
person wants the swing to go higher, they must be pushed by
someone else or by working their muscles to give the swing an extra
push. It goes higher because even though the push moves the swing
forward, since the swing must travel on the circular path, it must
curve upwards.
3/18/16
Watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYc7kHXW0xg. Explain that
this person is attached to a bungee, just like when we watched the
two little girls bungee running. What is the motion of the bungee
jumper? Why does the bungee jumper fall, then go back up, then fall,
then go back up, then fall? Explain the forces and the motion of each
part. Which forces are unbalanced and which forces are balanced?
3/21/16

Give summative assessment. Explain that every force must be

represented with an arrow and labeled, every force must also be
labeled unbalanced or balanced, and every motion must be
represented with an arrow and labeled.

Application

I modified the curriculum by

substituting this example of
force and motion for other
examples in the curriculum
because this example includes
every idea that the students
have explored and explained in
this unit.

Assessment

I modified the curriculum to

give my students an
assessment that only covers
the material I covered in my
unit.