Teaching elementary students about force and motion is super important and can be really fun. Force is just a fancy way of saying “push” or “pull”, and it’s what makes things move or change direction. Motion is simply the movement of an object from one place to another.
Together, force and motion help us understand how things move and interact with each other and the world around them. So if you’re looking to teach your kids about force and motion, get ready for some fun activities that will help them understand the physical world!
1. 🏐 Make a Marble Coaster
2. 🎈 Build a Balloon Rocket
Have you ever made a balloon rocket? It’s a lot of fun AND it can be used as a stimulus for a discussion on position, motion, and thrust. The materials are simple:
Thin string (8-10 feet)
Balloon Straw (paper straws work great)
Tape
See the labs on TpT : Motion Labs in a Snap
3. 🛼 Investigate the Effects of Friction
▶️ Last year, when instruction was largely digital, I made some videos for energy and force. You can easily recreate this investigation for your in-person students or send virtual students to the video.
YouTube channel : The Science Penguin
4. 📓 Create your Interactive Notebook
Physics is tough so it’s the All in One Notebook to the rescue!
You’ll find templates for different types of forces, characteristics of forces, vocabulary, motion, and simple machines, all with example photos of course!
See it on TpT : All in One Science Notebook
5. ⚽️ Set up a Soccer Relay
You’ll be some kids’ favorite teacher when you incorporate sports into your study of force and motion.
Plus, it’s super relevant to kids’ experiences!
Here is the relay game I use as the introduction to my Sports & Force Unit.
2. What forces stopped or slowed motion? (catching the ball, friction from the surface slowing it down, the ground when the ball was dropped)
Notebook Reflection
Make a T-Chart. On one side, write examples of how force caused motion in today’s activity. On the other, provide examples of how force stopped motion.
Then we follow up the activity with Sports Stations from the Sports & Force Unit.
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6 thoughts on “5 Ideas for Force & Motion”
I’m interested in the Forces Vocabulary Fold-Up that you wrote is from the “All in One Science Notebook”. I have already purchased several of the items listed in this bundle, so I don’t want to purchase the entire bundle. Can you tell me specifically which individual product this particular fold up is in? Thanks so much!
This was such a great resource for me. Thanks for sharing. I will share your wonderful ideas on my website (www.thegrade3teacher.com). Thanks again!
I love what you have done in your books on this post. Is there somewhere where i can purchase just the resources you have used in this post pretty please?
Hi Nikki! The links to the activities are just below each photo. Thank you for your interest!
-Ari
Hi
I purchased your 5th grade science bundle – it’s absolutely amazing!!
I’m just wondering where I can find Interactive notebook on forced and motion for grades 5/6?
Please reply asap
Thanks
Miriam
Ari, thank you for this post! I started using your materials when I taught 6th grade science a few years ago. Now I teach 10th grade physical science and your ideas and materials are STILL helpful to me. Love the soccer relay idea! Thank you so much for all your help!!