Mystery Forces: A Fun Way for Students to Distinguish Between Forces

Help students understand that gravity and other forces are at work all around us.  Forces can make objects float in the air, stick together, and do other strange things.  In the  Seeds of Science/Roots of Reading® book Mystery Forces, students read about strange things that happen because of forces.  They try to figure out which force is at work in each story.  Is the mystery force gravity, magnetic force or electrostatic force?

Below are some examples you can use with your class, along with a chart that will help them distinguish between the forces.  They can refer to this chart when deciding which force is the culprit.

Case of the Moving Spoon

A magician is sitting at a table.  She stares at a metal spoon and it slides across the table.  You ask her to move a glass.  She says her magic only works on metal objects.

How can the magician move the spoon without touching it?  Why does her magic only work on metal objects?

What force is at work here?  What evidence of the force can you find?  What is pushing or pulling on what?

Explanation: In the case of the moving spoon, the mystery force is magnetic force. The magician has a strong magnet under the table.  Even through the table, the magnet attracts the metal spoon.  When the magician moves the magnet, the spoon moves with it.  She can only move metal objects because magnets pull strongly on some kinds of metal.  Magnets don’t attract glass or other materials.

Case of the Shrinking Apple Tree

The apple tree in the park used to be taller than the swing set.  This summer, lots of apples are growing on the tree.  The branches are hanging down.  Now the tree is shorter than the swing set!

Trees usually grow bigger.  Why is this tree shrinking?

What force is at work here?  What evidence of that force can you find?  What is pushing or pulling on what?

Explanation: In the case of the shrinking apple tree, the mystery force is gravity. Earth is pulling the heavy apples down with the force of gravity.  The branches aren’t strong enough to hold so many apples up.  That’s why they are hanging down.  With the branches hanging down, the tree is shorter than it usually is.

Case of the Sticky Socks

You pull two clean socks out of the dryer.  The socks are stuck together.  Why did the socks stick together?

What force is at work here? What evidence of that force can you find?  What is pushing or pulling on what?

Explanation: In the case of the sticky socks, the mystery force is electrostatic force. When the socks rolled around in the dryer, they rubbed against other clothes.  One sock became charged.  The socks are attracting each other.

Forces Chart

Extending the lesson

Explain to students that, in addition to the situations above, mystery forces are all around them all the time.  Tell them to be a force detective at home.  They can look around for evidence of magnetic force, gravity, and electrostatic force.  Their challenge is to figure out which force is at work when they see someone’s hair sticking up or leaves falling from a tree.  They can share their stories with classmates and compare experiences of finding mystery forces everywhere!

For more information about the student book Mystery Forces and the Gravity and Magnetism science and literacy unit, visit http://www.scienceandliteracy.org.

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Free Workshops at the 2013 NSTA National Conference in San Antonio

Join our free workshops to learn how Seeds of Science/Roots of Reading®
can make a difference in student learning!

This is a great program for an inclusion class and/or functioning students.  These students learned! The hands-on learning was exciting and the learners ended this unit with the desire to continue expanding their scientific knowledge and applying literacy skills daily.
– 5^th Grade Teacher

Below are the details of the workshops.

Also, makes sure you look for our flyer provided by NSTA.  It features a QR code with a special message about a product giveaway taking place in our booth (#1226).  Hurry!  The giveaway is reserved for the first 200 attendees who stop by the booth.

We hope to see you there.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Integrate! A Better Way to Teach and Learn

TWO WORKSHOP TIMES TO CHOOSE FROM:

9:30 – 11:00 am or 11:30 am – 1 pm in Workshop Room 102A

Explore pedagogical approaches to integration focusing on the synergies between science and literacy from the Seeds of Science/Roots of Reading® program. Developed at The Lawrence Hall of Science, this program reflects the practices of real scientists and meets the needs of all students.

33 Strategies for Integrating Disciplinary Literacy

1:30 – 3:00 am in Workshop Room 102A

Discover how to increase reading comprehension, disciplinary literacy skills, and science knowledge simultaneously for ALL students. Take away 33 ready-to-use strategies for incorporating science trade books into your classroom. Learn integration strategies that provide a better way to teach both science and literacy. Free classroom materials!

Click here for the conference details.

For more information about the Seeds of Science/Roots of Reading program, visit http://www.scienceandliteracy.org.

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