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How can we protect a mountain town from falling rocks?
Force Olympics Unit | Lesson 5 of 6

How can we protect a mountain town from falling rocks?

Force Olympics Unit | Lesson 5 of 6
Lesson narration:
Scroll for prep

If`a`rock`tumbles
slowly,`what`do`you
think`will`happen
if`it`bumps`into`a
tree?

Now`say`it’s`moving
fast.`What`do`you
think`will`happen
if`it`bumps`into`a
tree?

How`could`you
change`which`way
the`boulder`was
rolling,`so`that`it
wouldn’t`hit`the
house?

Slide Image

push


1 of 4

to move an object away from you

direction


2 of 4

the path an object takes as it moves

experiment


3 of 4

a test used to discover new information about a question
Slide Image

model


4 of 4

a pretend version of something that scientists use when the real thing is too big, small, or complicated to work with
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Featured Reviews

“Very interactive and engaging for kindergartners”
“Even my ELL students were using the vocabulary and explaining their strategies!!!”
“Students LOVED trying to find a path that would not smash tiny town. They learned a lot about how scientists try ONE small change at a time to figure out a solution.”
“I loved that they got to do trial and error, and that this is following the scientific method. Easier to create and fun for the kids. We used sticky tack (or safety reasons) and that worked well, too.”
“Clever way to explore forces. Super easy to set up.”
“The students LOVED the activity, and did a great job explaining why it worked for them. They all had success in their teams. So much fun!”
“The experiment was great! Love the easy supply lists for all experiments. Thank you!”
“Loved it! The students have continued to work/play with the activities from this unit even after we've completed the lesson. They like to challenge themselves to find different ways to set up the push pins and who can use the least amount of pins to get the ball to go where they want it to. Great lesson, thanks!”
“Kids really responded well. They used vocabulary so well in their discussions with each other.”
“The entire lesson was well constructed. The real world examples were an important step in helping to understand both the concept and the problem the hands on activity was fantastic. My students were so engaged as they collaborated together to find a solution. ”
“What a fun hands on activity that really sparked the students interests!!! We ALL had a great time participating!!!”
“The kids were incredibly excited to do the experiment and would cheer when their "tiny town" did not get knocked down.”
“Clear, concise video explanations with a great follow-up activity. Thank you”
“The class loved the experiment. They really learned about force.”
“Students loved it! Very fun. I was grateful that the videos showed a step by step look at what they should be doing.”
“The directions were really easy to follow, and the challenge level was appropriate.”
“My students really liked this activity more than most. ”
“Wonderful! It was tricky for them to place the pushpins in locations that would work, but they persevered! Great critical thinking skills!”
“The kids really loved the activity. They were excited to try different ways to place the pins. I kept a few of the boards out and the kids experimented with them when they had some free time as well. ”
“Kids had a wonderful time with them lesson. They can't wait to show their parents at conferences. ”
“Great pace! Clear and concise!”
“My kids LOVED the activity. They were so excited that several of them went home and did the boulder activity with their families.”
“The optional videos about Snow Rangers and Avalanche experts were a great addition to the lesson! ”
“The kids loved the challenge of trying to get the boulder into the truck! I made them repeat it five times in a row before they could consider their route a success. ”
Lesson narration:

Grade K

Pushes & Pulls

Direction of Motion & Engineering

K-PS2-2, K-2-ETS1-1, K-2-ETS1-2, K-2-ETS1-3

Activity Prep

Print Prep
In this lesson, students investigate how pushes can change the speed and direction of falling objects. In the activity, Boulder Bounce, students play a game where they design a solution that protects a model town called Tiny Town from a bouncing-ball “boulder.”
Preview activity

Exploration

17 mins

Wrap-Up

3 mins

Grade K

Pushes & Pulls

Direction of Motion & Engineering

K-PS2-2, K-2-ETS1-1, K-2-ETS1-2, K-2-ETS1-3

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Pushes Lesson 5: How can we protect a mountain town from falling rocks?

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