8.PS.2: Forces can act to change the motion of objects. The motion of an…
Forces can act to change the motion of objects. The motion of an object is always measured with respect to a reference point. Forces can be added. The new force on an object is the sum of all of the forces acting on the object. If there is a nonzero net force acting on an object, its speed and/or direction will change. Kinetic friction and drag are forces that act in a direction opposite the relative motion of objects.
The Ohio's Learning Standards for Science (2018) outcome 8.PS.2 (Physical Science) for Grade 8 says: “Forces can act to change the motion of objects. The motion of an object is always measured with respect to a reference point. Forces can be added. The new force on an object is the sum of all of the forces acting on the object. If there is a nonzero net force acting on an object, its speed and/or direction will change. Kinetic friction and drag are forces that act in a direction opposite the relative motion of objects.” This Fieldbook unit teaches it hands-on, with everyday materials and a printable teacher guide and student sheet for every lesson. Official wording: Ohio's Learning Standards for Science (2018).
Forces and Motion: Crash, Push and Stop Grade 8 · partly supports this outcome
Why you lurch forward when the bus brakes, how fast a toy car really goes, why heavier carts hit harder, and how to build a crumple zone that saves an egg. Four lessons on inertia, speed, mass and stopping safely.
- Why do you lurch forward when a bus stops? 50–60 min
Students flick a card out from under a coin, then crash toy cars carrying loose clay passengers into a barrier and measure how far the passenger flies. They use their data to explain inertia and to design a better seatbelt.
- Why does a heavier cart hit harder? 50–60 min
Teams load a toy car with coins, roll it down the same ramp into a paper cup and measure how far the cup slides. They graph mass against slide distance and explain, with momentum, why a loaded truck is harder to stop than a small car.
- Can you design a crumple zone? Two periods of 45–60 min (or one 75–90 min block)
Teams design, build and test a crumple zone that lets a raw egg in a zip bag survive a cart crash into a wall, working to a budget and a size limit. They measure how far each design crushed and use class data to explain why a longer stop means a smaller force.
Printable practice for 8.PS.2
These pages practise a closely related idea; the match to 8.PS.2 is partial.
- Forces and Motion: Crash, Push and Stop workbook included with the unit
4 practice pages, 4 readings, 4 English-support pages, 1 word wall, 1 unit review, 1 unit test, with answer keys.
- Stone, Bamboo and Storms: Building in Vietnam workbook included with the unit
2 readings, 1 word wall, 1 practice page, 1 unit test, with answer keys.
Need just this outcome? Build a custom pack from these pages, with its answer key, in about a minute. Custom packs come with All-access and school licences.
Compared with NGSS: MS-PS2-1 (partial), MS-PS2-2 (partial), MS-PS3-1 (partial), MS-ETS1-1 (partial), MS-ETS1-2 (partial).
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