FRANKLIN COLLEGE

Education Department
Field School Lesson Plan
Name___Zach Daily____________________________________Lesson Number______2_______________
Subject Area___________Science__________________________________ Grade
Level__________4th____________
Date______________4/3/16______________ Start time___8:10________ End
time____9:00____________________
Cooperating Teachers
Signature_______________________________________________________________________
Topic/Concept/Skill:
My building made of my blocks keeps falling over and I dont know why. Students will be taught
about the forces that causes things to move and fall.
Related Standard:
4.4.1 Investigate systems and devices that operate on or in land, water, air and
space and recognizes the forces (lift, drag, friction, thrust and gravity) that affect
their motion.
4.4.3 Investigate how changes in speed or direction are caused by forces, the
greater the force exerted on an object, the greater the change.
Background:
Students should have a basic understanding of force and gravity. They should know that gravity
is what keeps everyone on the ground instead of floating away. They should know that a force
can be a push or pull that moves objects, and the harder one pushes or pulls something, the
more it moves. They will also know that heavier object are harder to move, while lighter objects
are easier to move.
Main Objective of Instruction:
In order to understand that the Earths gravity pulls an object toward it without touching it, the
students will be able to explain how an object moves depending on the force exerted upon it by
using building blocks to build a small structure and exerting different forces on it to collapse it in
different ways within the span of about 20 minutes.
Language Objective:
Students will describe gravity and force using academic vocabulary and gerunds such as
pushing and pulling.
Teacher Materials/Resources:
Pen, Teacher Book, Computer station with projection for notes, dictionaries (for students who
may not have their textbook), Worksheet to give for homework so they can practice what they
learned at home, building blocks (super cheap, simple wooden or plastic blocks).
Student Materials:
Pencil, paper, textbook or dictionary, building blocks, Worksheet.
Anticipatory Set (Introductory Approach):
As students enter the room, they will see I have built a structure out of my own building blocks.
These blocks will be much larger than the ones they will be using. They are like shoeboxes but a
little bit smaller and made out of cardboard. I will have built a small structure. The students will
be told not to touch the structure, but will be wondering why there is are blocks stacked up in the
classroom.

Instructional Procedures (Whole Group):

Greet children as they come into class and instruct them to not touch the building blocks
that have been built up into a tower.
Take attendance and allow children a minute to settle down and have the students get
their materials out and ready.
8:10 Have children quiet down. Once the class is quiet, walk to the front of the class and
stand next to the tower.
Warn the children that they are not to go wild and start talking when you do what you are
about to do. Say, I am about to show you guys something, but you can NOT go crazy. You
may laugh, but that is it. Let them know that if they cannot handle this then they will not
be able to handle the activity, and the class as a whole can just sit and take notes and
then just work on all of the worksheets that you printed out (just as reassurance to keep
the kids calm and collected).
Without saying a word, gently knock the tower over and allow it to fall to the ground
(Visual: The students are watching me knock the tower over). The children may
laugh. Then ask them, What just happened? The students will respond with answers like,
You knocked the tower over!
By responding to them with, I didnt knock it over, gravity pulled it to the ground. You
will have begun the lesson and gotten them thinking about gravity just like that.
8:12 Ask the students what they know about gravity. Most will say that it holds everyone
and everything to the Earth or we would just fly away. Let them know that they are
correct. Next ask them what they know about force. Some may say something about Star
Wars. Let them know that in a way THE Force is similar to what they will be learning, but it
is not a real thing (set the blocks back up and try to use The Force on them if you have to
as a way to make them laugh and keep them focused on you) (Promote Creative
Thinking Pg. 72).
8:13 At that point begin to explain what force is and how it relates to gravity.
Have students take notes over what you are about to talk about.
- Gravity is an attraction between two objects. The greater the mass of the objects and
the closer the distance, the stronger the gravitational pull. So when something weighs
more, it is harder to move it off the ground.
- You: So is there gravity in space? Students (Everything written as a students
answer is only a possible answer. They may not actually know or they may say
something entirely different. This is just a common thing most children tend to think of
when thinking about this subject.): No because everything floats around and nothing
is being held down. This is actually not true.
- As a spaceship moves away from Earth, the gravitational pull is weakening. There is in
fact gravity in space, its just super weak once you leave the Earths atmosphere.
- You: What is a force? Students: Its when you move something. You: Yes that is
true. But it is more than that. A force is a push or a pull. The heavier an object is, then
you need more force to move it. If an object is lighter, then less force is required to
move it.
- Heavy object: More force needed to move it. If less force is applied then it will not
move.
- Light object: Less force is needed to move it. If you apply more force than what is
needed, the object will move farther.
- You: So when I pushed these blocks over, I was using a force. And since these blocks
are pretty light, it did not take much force to make them fall. If I used more force on
them, then the blocks would most likely go flying across the floor.
- Gravity is a natural force that occurs in nature. So is Friction.
- You: What do you guys think friction is? (Knowledge) Students: Its when you rub
your socks against the carpet and then you shock someone! You: Yes that is one way
friction is used. Friction is the resistance of an object moving. Friction exerts a force in
the opposite direction of an objects motion causing the object to slow down or stop. So
when you rub your socks on the carpet, friction is resisting you and fighting against

your foot, which then makes heat and then causes a static shock (They know what a
static shock is because that was what my last lesson was about).
- Friction also helps put an object in motion. For example, when a person walks, his or
her foot pushes back against the ground, and the frictional force from the ground
opposes this push, and so the ground pushes a persons foot. If there is little friction on
the ground then people will slip and fall. So if someone is standing on a wet floor or ice,
there will be little friction present.
8:30 Make sure all students have finished their notes and then have the students put their
notes away.
The students are to remain at their desks for this activity. Pass out a handful of about 5-9
blocks to each student.
8:32 Have them build a small structure. It can be a tower, a bigger block, whatever they
can think of. Give them about 2 minutes to do so. Have the students GENTLY knock over
their structures. If they knock their building over too hard and make their pieces go flying
then mark it down in their Behavior Logs (way of recording bad behavior at Needham
Elementary) (Kinesthetic: They are using the blocks).
You: So what do you think would happen if we tried to move something heavy?
(Intrapersonal: I am asking them to imagine themselves moving something
heavy. Then we will try to actually do it.) What should we try to move?
(Application: I am having them find something heavy and letting them try and
move it). Students: We could try moving the wall! Its super heavy!
Have those students push on the wall with all of their strength. Once they see that they
cannot move it, the will have a good vision in their minds of how much force you need in
order to move a heavy object (Kinesthetic: They are trying to move the wall).
8:36 Next the students will all return to their seats and put their blocks to the side. Then
they will get out a sheet of paper and their Science textbook. If they do not have their
textbook then they are to go and get a dictionary.
Students will create five 4 Corner Vocabulary charts (seen below) which will become
homework if it is not finished in class (All Hands on Deck Pg. 69).
Pass out homework which the student are to start on if the finish the vocabulary activity.
8:53 When there are seven minutes left of class, have the students clear off their desks.
The students will lay their heads down on their desk with their eyes closed. This way they
cannot see what their peers answer to the following questions:
- Raise your hands if you need more explanation on this subject.
- Raise your hand if you think you would be able to work with a partner and explain it to
them.
- Raise your hand if you think you got this and you could take a test over this material.
Depending on this data, more explanation and review may be needed the following day
before you can begin to build into new information.
(Providing Note-takers to IEP and ELL students Pg. 40./)
Provisions for Individual and/or Group Differences:
- IEP: Students with an IEP will follow along with the whole class during this lesson.
When the note taking begins, they will have the notes already written down for them,
but they will have to fill in blanks as they go. This will help to make sure they are
listening and staying on task while the material is being presented. They will get the
choice to either get their own smaller blocks to use or they will be allowed to come up
and stack the ones used by the teacher, depending on which one they feel they are
learning better from. For their Vocabulary words, they will be given the word and its
definition, and will be asked to come up with a drawing and a sentence of their own.
They will be given the same worksheet for home, since it is simply answering basic
questions over what they learned.
-

ELL: ELL students will be given a list of words. As the lesson progresses, the ELL
learners will be instructed to draw a picture of what they are learning so that they can
put a visual picture with the words they are hearing. This way when they are

completing their vocabulary words and homework, they can look back at the visuals
which should help them remember what each English word means. If they feel that this
will not help, then they will receive the same notes used for the IEP students and will fill
in the blank with key words that they are supposed to learn and remember.
Closure:
The vocabulary squares will be the main closure. They will have the chance to look up key words
from the lesson and define them, write a sentence about them, and draw a picture of the word.
The homework will get their minds thinking about different parts of the lesson. This way they are
not just taking away the main idea (Gravity holds everyone to the Earth and a force is a push or
pull.) and will have them think about other things they need to remember.
Evaluation of Learning:
The homework will give a good understanding the next day about how the students are doing
with this material. Asking them the questions about how they feel about the material at the end
of class will give them a chance to honestly answer. Everyones eyes will be closed and their
heads will be down so they cannot get embarrassed because they do not feel confident about
the material. This is a good exercise to use to get students to honestly tell their teacher how they
feel about a subject, without having to worry about them hiding the fact that they dont know
something because they are afraid of what their classmates might think.
Independent Practice: Homework

a. Gravity
b. Friction
c. Air resistance
d. All of the above
Grade 4 Forces and Motion
A measure of the pull of gravity on objects.
a. gravity
b. volume
c. weight
Grade 4 Forces and Motion
A pulling force between two objects.
a. length
b. metric system
c. gravity
Grade 4 Forces and Motion
You can change the position or direction of motion of an object by pushing it or pulling it.
a. True
b. False
Grade 4 Forces and Motion
What determines how much something weighs?
a. pull of gravity
b. amount of mass
c. where it stays on Earth
d. None of these

Grade 4 Forces and Motion

A space shuttle started launching into space. It used a lot of force to fly up toward space. Which direction was
the opposite force going?
a. Right
b. Left
c. Up
d. Down
Grade 4 Forces and Motion
The pulling force that holds you on Earth is called
Grade 4 Forces and Motion
Speed
and
direction

gravity

describe an object in motion.

Grade 4 Forces and Motion

A roller coaster car goes up and down because it is moved by
a. force
b. gravity
c. inertia
d. friction
Grade 4 Forces and Motion
The force of gravity is what pulls a roller coaster car to the earth.
a. True
b. False
Grade 4 Forces and Motion
Objects can be the same size but weigh differently.
a. True
b. False
Grade 4 Forces and Motion
The rate of change in distance an object travels in a given time describes its
a. position
b. speed
c. frame of reference
d. energy

Grade 4 Forces and Motion

The idea that an object in motion will stay in motion unless an unbalanced force acts upon it.
a. work
b. inertia
c. gravity

d. kinetic engergy
Grade 4 Forces and Motion
The force of gravity pushes objects away from the center of the earth.
a. True
b. False

IEP/ELL Notes.
__________ is an attraction between two objects. The greater the ______ of the objects and
the closer the distance, the stronger the gravitational pull. So when something weighs
more, it is harder to move it off the ground.

Is there Gravity in space? _______

As a spaceship moves away from Earth, the gravitational pull is getting _________.

Gravity is super ________ in space.

A force is a ______ or _______.

The _______ an object is, then you need more force to move it. If an object is _______, then
less force is required to move it.
- Heavy object: More force needed to move it. If less force is applied then it will not
move.
- Light object: Less force is needed to move it. If you apply more force than what is
needed, the object will move farther.

Gravity is a natural force that occurs in _______. So is Friction.

__________ is the resistance of an object moving.

Friction exerts a force in the ________ direction of an objects motion causing the object to
slow down or stop.

Friction also _______ put an object in motion.

For example, when a person walks, his or her foot pushes back against the ground, and
the frictional force from the ground opposes this push, and so the ground pushes a
persons foot. If there is little friction on the ground then people will slip and fall. So if
someone is standing on a wet floor or ice, there will be little friction present.

4 Corners Vocabulary
Words: Gravity, Force, Attract, Mass, Weight
Word

Draw Picture of the word

Use the word in a sentence

Define the word