MS-PS2-2 lessons
Plan an investigation to provide evidence that the change in an object's motion depends on the sum of the forces on the object and the mass of the object.
The Next Generation Science Standards code MS-PS2-2 asks students to: “Plan an investigation to provide evidence that the change in an object's motion depends on the sum of the forces on the object and the mass of the object.” These Fieldbook lessons teach it hands-on, with everyday materials, a printable teacher guide and a student sheet.
Forces and Motion: Crash, Push and Stop Grade 8
- 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.
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 MS-PS2-2 matches there. Other states word and number their own versions: see curriculum alignment for your state's codes.
More NGSS standards for middle school
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