Unit: Forces Effect on Motion

Unit Plan Overview

Teacher: Andrew Lewis

Stage 1- Desired Results

Connections to Context:
Forces and Motion are all around the students.
Having an understanding of how and why things in
the natural world move is therefore very important.
All students have seen objects move after being
pushed or pulled but now they will hopefully have
more technical terms to describe these events and
the reasons behind why they move. I will
incorporate real life examples as much as possible
as well as present demonstrations. Also I will do
many activities to make sure each student has
background knowledge on it.
Established Goals
P.FM.05.21 Distinguish between contact forces
and non-contact forces.
P.FM.05.31 Describe what happens when two
forces act on an object in the same or opposing
direction.
P.FM.05.32 Describe how constant motion is the
result of balanced (zero net) forces.
P.FM.05.33 Describe how changes in the motion of
objects are caused by a non-zero net (unbalanced)
force.
P.FM.05.22 Demonstrate contact and non-contact
forces to change the motion of an object.
P.FM.05.34 Relate the size of change in motion to
the strength of unbalanced forces and the mass of
the object.
S.IP.07.12 Design and conduct scientific
investigations.
S.IP.07.13 Use tools and equipment appropriate to
scientific investigations.
S.IP.07.14 Use metric measurement devices in an
investigation.
7 H1.2.6 Identify the role of the individual in
history and the significance of one persons ideas.

Transfer
Students will be able to independently use their learning to
Further explore natural phenomenon around them by observing, questioning,
conducting a proper investigation and relaying their findings to others.
Properly use scientific equipment to make accurate measurements.
See an object in motion and be able to describe to someone else all the forces that
are acting on it.
Predict the direction an object will travel given a new force.
Compare the relative speed of two objects pushed at the same force when given the
objects masses.
Diagram an object with arrows representing the forces pulling in each direction.
Describe how things not being touched can exert force on each other. (Non-contact
force)
Describe what will happen to an object pushed on a frictionless surface.
Be able to calculate the speed and acceleration of an object.
Predict how an object will react if one force was changed.
Predict how a change in the mass will change the force.
Meaning
UNDERSTANDINGS
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
Students will understand that
Students will keep considering
Everything that moves has some sort
What happens when two objects with
of force applied to it.
force collide?
Scientific experiments have tools that
Why didnt I need to touch this
need to be used properly in order to
paperclip to move it with this magnet?
conduct good research.
When an object is dropped does it
Science is about asking questions.
move faster near the bottom of its fall
or the top?
Motion is caused by unbalanced forces
If two objects are moving at the same
acting on an object.
speed but one is much heavier than the
Acceleration and speed are two
other which will be pushed back?
different things.
Gravity and magnetism are non-contact Do all forces require touch?
What would happen if I pushed this on
forces and can still create motion.
the floor and the floor was frictionless?
Force is affected by the mass of the
What types of forces are acting on this
object in question.
coffee cup Im holding in my hand?
What starts off every good scientific

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to
Curriculum

W.GN.07.01 Write a cohesive narrative piece such

as a memoir, drama, legend, mystery, poetry, or
myth that includes appropriate conventions to the
genre employing literary and plot devices (e.g.,
internal and/or external conflicts,
antagonists/protagonists,
personification).
(n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/5Science_COMPLETE_12-10-07_218320_7.pdf
(n.d.) Retrieved from
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/Math_0
7_87414_7.pdf

Evaluative Criteria

Accuracy of the description, with less emphasize on

learning the small details and specific scientific terms.
More emphasize on understanding how and why things
will move than the specific terms and theories.

experiment?
Who will win in a short race someone
with good acceleration or good speed?
What does MPH stand for? If that is a
speed what can our definition of speed
be?

Acquisition of Knowledge, Skill and Values/Commitments/Dispositions

Students will know
Students will be skilled at Students will exhibit
Friction is a contact
Using scientific tools to
Good scientific methods
force.
calculate speed and
while conducting an
mass.
experiment to test
The definition of speed
certain variables.
Predicting the direction
and how to calculate it.
Persistence in scientific
an object will travel.
What can affect the force
experiments.
Predicting which object
of an object.
Curiosity with real world
will have more force
Which forces are contact
when given the mass.
phenomenon.
forces and which are
Creating their own
Cooperation with their
non-contact forces.
experiment to answer
fellow classmates. Even
What forces are acting
their
question
on
an
if they are paired up
on an object.
observation.
with someone who isnt
The methods to use
their friend.

Describing
all
the
forces
common scientific

Honesty in reporting
acting
on
an
object
equipment such as
either
in
motion
or
results as they are even
scales, stop watches,
without movement.
if they dont fit what
meter sticks, and tapes.
they wanted to happen

Determining
the
relative
That magnets can exert
or thought would
force
of
an
object
when
force by repulsion or
happen.
given
its
mass
and
attraction.
acceleration.

Stage 2- Evidence
Students will show their learning by
PERFORMANCE TASK(S):
Turning in descriptions of their thought processes were while going through a
scientific experiment.
Be able to explain to the teacher natural phenomenon like a kicked ball stopping.
Predicting the change in motion of an object when a new force is added or
subtracted from the object.

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to
Curriculum

For me it is more important that they have an idea of how

the big concept fits into the situation then the specific
small details. Having the knowledge to be able to predict
what will happen.

Graphing the relationship between mass and force.

Splitting the examples of forces into contact vs non-contact forces.

OTHER EVIDENCE:
Writing an essay on how Newtons discoveries and inventions have changed and
affected their lives.
Describing the relationship that has been shown on their graphs of mass and force.
Answering questions throughout the lectures to show they understand the concepts.

Stage 3- Learning Plan

Worksheet asking them to
Describe what forces are acting on an object at rest.
Why an object rolled on carpet stops faster than if it was rolled on tile.
Describe a situation in which something moves without anything else touching it.

Pre-assessment

There will be questions or warm ups before entering the meat of the content. These questions will see how familiar the students are with the
material beforehand and which areas are completely foreign.
Also there will be demonstrations and the teacher will ask the students if they can explain why that happened.
(What pre-assessments will you use to check students prior knowledge, skill levels, and potential misconceptions?)
(Toward which goal does
Learning Events
each learning event build?)
Acquisition
Meaning
Transfer

Student success at transfer, meaning, and acquisition depends upon their

participation in these learning events
Laboratory where students roll different objects over different types of
surfaces and video demonstration of different surfaces.
Read through an article describing forces and motion terms to review.
Demonstration involving magnets and the strength of their repulsion
or attraction.
Activity where different balls of different masses being rolled down a
ramp and to see which has a bigger force.
Description of Newtons First Law.
Demonstration of Newtons cradle showing Newtons Third Law.
Video of rocket ship taking off.

Progress Monitoring
Teacher will be able to tell the
students understand the
material based of their answers
to various questions as well as
the written homework turned
in.
Students will be able to monitor
their own progress throughout the
lessons because the teacher will
tell them before each lesson what the
goals are for each lesson.

Students often misunderstand

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to
Curriculum

Star the multiple means of representation; underline the multiple means of

action and expression; circle the multiple means of engagement
(Are all three types of goals (acquisition, meaning, and transfer) addressed in
the learning plan?)

(Does the learning plan reflect principles of learning and best practices?)

(Is there tight alignment with Stages 1 and 2?

Newtons 3rd law to be some

sort of push off.
Students also find it hard to
understand gravity and
magnetism because they are
invisible forces.
The majority of student feedback
will be oral. Answers to the
questions or their own wonderings.
Also the students will get written
feedback on the graphs, quizzes,
paper, and the final unit test.

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to
Curriculum