Thinkabara

🔬 3rd Grade · Science3-PS2-1Unit 1: Forces & interactions

Balanced and unbalanced forces

Google Classroom

🎯 Objective: Students investigate how balanced and unbalanced forces affect motion.

Lesson outline

  1. Tug of war model.
  2. Spring scales.
  3. Record.
  4. Exit: what makes motion change?

Lesson 1 of 5 in this unit. In the Lesson Planner this lesson takes 1–3 class periods depending on your timetable: day 1 introduce & model, then practice, small-group reteach and a quick check.

📐 Standard

3-PS2-1

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), Grade 3 — typical US unit order

🏁 Unit goals

  • Investigate balanced and unbalanced forces
  • Predict motion from patterns
  • Investigate magnets and static electricity

✅ Check for understanding

End with the exit ticket in the outline. Sort answers into got it / almost / not yet and start the next lesson with a 5-minute reteach for the “not yets”.

Practice & resources on Thinkabara

🦫 Encyclopedia: Science🦫 Kids encyclopedia⚡ Capy Live class quiz

🗓️ Plan the whole year like this

Add 3rd Grade Science to your free Lesson Planner: enter your timetable once and every period shows the next lesson, skipping weekends and school breaks.

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More lessons in “Forces & interactions”

  1. Balanced and unbalanced forces
  2. Patterns of motion
  3. Magnets
  4. Static electricity
  5. Magnet design challenge

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