Forces: Pushes and Pulls

Forces | Independent Practice

Grade 3 Physics Forces Independent Practice Medium Professional 5 Views

Professional Lesson Plan

Forces: Pushes and Pulls

Forces | Independent Practice

GradeGrade 3

SubjectPhysics

TopicForces

Duration15 Minutes

Lesson TypeIndependent Practice

DifficultyMedium

Lesson Overview

Students will independently practice identifying pushes and pulls and describing how forces can change the motion of objects. The lesson uses quick sorting, drawing, and sentence completion tasks suitable for a 15-minute independent practice block.

Learning Objectives

Identify push and pull as types of forces.
Describe how a force can make an object move, stop, speed up, slow down, or change direction.
Sort examples of forces in everyday situations.
Use simple vocabulary to explain force actions.

Materials Needed

Pencil
Crayon or colored pencil
Independent practice sheet with pictures or word prompts
Small classroom objects or picture cards showing pushes and pulls
Optional: toy car or ball for teacher demo

Vocabulary

Term	Definition
force	a push or a pull that can make an object move or change motion
push	to move something away from you
pull	to bring something closer to you
motion	the way something moves
direction	the way something moves or points

Lesson Sequence

Do Now / Review2 minutes

Teacher Actions

Give brief directions: 'Today you will work on your own to show what you know about forces.' Point to a push/pull example and quickly remind students that forces are pushes and pulls.

Student Actions

Listen, look at the example, and prepare to work independently.

Independent Practice 1: Sort5 minutes

Teacher Actions

Direct students to sort 4 to 6 picture or word examples into push or pull on their worksheet. Circulate to support quietly.

Student Actions

Sort each example as a push or a pull.

Independent Practice 2: Draw and Label4 minutes

Teacher Actions

Ask students to draw one push and one pull from real life, then label each picture with the correct word.

Student Actions

Draw two examples and label them using the vocabulary words.

Independent Practice 3: Complete Sentences3 minutes

Teacher Actions

Read the sentence stems aloud once if needed: 'A push can __________.' 'A pull can __________.' 'A force can change __________.'

Student Actions

Complete the sentence stems with simple words or phrases.

Share and Wrap-Up1 minute

Teacher Actions

Ask 1 to 2 students to share one example of a push or pull. Reinforce correct vocabulary.

Student Actions

Volunteer one idea or show their work.

Support

Provide picture clues for students who need extra support.
Allow students to use a word bank with push, pull, force, motion, and direction.
Pair a student with adult or peer support only for directions, while still completing work independently.
Reduce the number of examples to sort if needed.

Challenge

Ask students to write a short explanation of how a force changed motion in one of their examples.
Invite students to add a second force action to one drawing and explain the difference.
Have advanced students use the words speed up, slow down, or change direction in a sentence.

Checks for Understanding

Observe whether students correctly sort push and pull examples.
Check drawings for accurate labels and matching actions.
Listen for correct use of vocabulary during the closing share.
Review sentence completions for understanding that forces affect motion.

Closure

Quickly restate: 'Forces are pushes and pulls that can change how objects move.' Have students point to one example on their paper or tell a partner one thing they learned.