Florida SC.6.P.13.3

Science6th GradeForces and Changes in Motion

The Standard

Investigate and describe that an unbalanced force acting on an object changes its speed, or direction of motion, or both.

Florida Next Generation Sunshine State Standards for Science

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students test how pushes and pulls affect an object's motion. They describe changes in speed, direction, or both using observations and measurements.
What Mastery Looks Like: Students predict how a net force will affect a moving or resting object. They support the prediction with force arrows, motion data, or observations from an investigation.
Common Misconceptions: Students may think a moving object always needs a forward force to keep moving. They may also think multiple forces always change motion, even when the forces balance.
How to Assess It: Give students a diagram of a rolling ball being pushed from the side. Ask them to draw its new path and explain the change.

Lesson moves

Roll a marble across a tray, tap it sideways with a ruler, and mark its path before and after the tap.
Ask students to explain how a soccer player's kick can change a ball's speed, direction, or both.
Give pairs force-arrow cards to place around object pictures, then have them predict and check each motion change.
Watch a short seat belt crash-test clip and have students identify the force that changes the passenger dummy's motion.

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A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to SC.6.P.13.3, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.

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