3-PS2-1 lessons
Plan and carry out an investigation to find evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object.
The Next Generation Science Standards code 3-PS2-1 asks students to: “Plan and carry out an investigation to find evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object.” These Fieldbook lessons teach it hands-on, with everyday materials, a printable teacher guide and a student sheet.
Build It, Launch It Grades K–5 · partly supports this standard
- How does a rocket push itself into space? 45 min
Kids build a balloon rocket that zooms along a string between two chairs, then run a fair test on how much air goes in the balloon. They finish able to explain action and reaction: the balloon pushes air back, and the air pushes the balloon forward.
Pushes, Pulls and Magnets Grade 3 · partly supports this standard
- Why does a ball stop rolling? 45–60 min
Teams roll the same ball down the same ramp onto a hard floor, a carpet and a towel, and measure how far it goes each time. They find out that a rolling ball doesn't just run out of go: something rubs against it and slows it down.
Forces at Work: Gravity, Resistance, Levers and Pulleys Grades 4–5 · partly supports this standard
- Do heavy things really fall faster? 60–70 min
Teams drop a light and a heavy container side by side and find that they land together, then add parachutes of three sizes and time the fall. They calibrate a rubber-band force meter in newtons and explain what gravity and air each do.
- How can a small push lift a big load? 60–70 min
Teams balance coins on a ruler lever and find the rule for balancing, then lift a 300 g load with a fixed pulley and a moving pulley, measuring the pull and the length of string each time. They find that machines can make a force smaller, but only by making the distance longer.
NGSS is used as written in Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, so the code 3-PS2-1 matches there. Other states word and number their own versions: see curriculum alignment for your state's codes.
More NGSS standards for Grade 3
All standards we teach · Curriculum alignment by state and province
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