Georgia S2P2.a
The Standard
Plan and carry out an investigation to demonstrate how pushing and pulling on an object affects the motion of the object.
Georgia Standards of Excellence for Science · Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to explain the effect of a force (a push or a pull) in the movement of an object (changes in speed and direction).
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students plan a simple test using a familiar object, such as a ball or toy car. They observe and describe how different pushes and pulls change its speed, direction, or position.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students can carry out a fair test, record what happened, and compare results. They can use evidence from the test to explain why the object moved differently.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may think objects move without any push or pull. They may also think a stronger force always changes direction, or that only living things can apply force.
How to Assess It
- Give students a toy car and string. Ask them to show two different ways to change its motion, then draw and label what each force did.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Pairs move a toy car across a taped path, first with one-finger pushes, then with a string pull, and record distance and direction.
Ask, "How could you make a rolling ball slow down, speed up, or turn without picking it up?"
Play Force Detective by drawing push, pull, speed, and direction cards, then demonstrating each card with a classroom object.
At recess, students sketch how pushes and pulls affect a swing, ball, wagon, or playground spinner.
Free download
Printable S2P2.a Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to S2P2.a, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.
Download the worksheetKeep exploring
Related Standards
- SKP2.a
Plan and carry out an investigation to determine the relationship between an object's physical attributes and its resulting motion (straight, circular, back and...
- S1P2.b
Plan and carry out an investigation to demonstrate how magnets attract and repel each other and the effect of magnets on common objects.
- S4P3.a
Plan and carry out an investigation on the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on an object and communicate the results.
- S8P2.b
Plan and carry out an investigation to explain the transformation between kinetic and potential energy within a system (e.g., roller coasters, pendulums, rubber...
Turn this exact standard into a lesson
Grade, subject, topic, and the complete standard are prefilled. Create one free, no account needed.
Also for this standard:Make a WorksheetMake a QuizMake a Sub Lesson