Activity
Introduction to Force: Push and Pull
A hands-on science lesson for students who are blind and visually impaired about force, using push and pull to demonstrate.
A hands-on science lesson for students who are blind and visually impaired about force, using push and pull to demonstrate.
Materials
Part I:
- Medium size box filled with something to give it weight (resistance), such as rocks, books, blocks etc.
- Large spool about 3 ft. round
- (Spool available at Home Depot or other home improvement store, these are often used to store cables, chains, rope and they will gladly give them away)
- 6 to 8 feet of rope (jump rope works well)
Part II:
- Wooden spool for each student
- Masking tape and marker
- Pencil, clothespin, cloth, string, strips of paper, straw, pipe cleaner, rubber bands
- Table top or smooth surface
Procedure
Part I:
Introduction:
- Scientists study how things move.
- Today we will observe how we can make things move.
- To make something move, you need to use a “force”.
- A Force is a push or a pull.
Activity:
- Place tape on the floor and mark as “Start”.
- Place another strip of tape 6 to 8 feet away from the start position and mark as “Finish”.
- Teacher demonstrates how to push a box from start to finish.
- Students take turns pushing a box from the start to the finish marks.
- The force we used was a push.
- Teacher demonstrates how to use a rope to pull the box from start to finish.
- Students use a rope to pull the box from the start to the finish mark.
- The force we used was a pull.
- Discuss the types of forces the students used to move the box (push and pull). Explain to the students: “A force is a push or a pull, you used a force to move the box from start to finish.”
- Introduce the large spool.
- Explain: “Spools are used to hold rope, wire, cable or string. This spool came from Home Depot and was used to hold wire.”
- Demonstrate the following forces:
- push the spool standing up
- push the spool on its side
- Students take turns pushing the spool standing up and on its side
- Ask: Which was easier to PUSH the spool? Standing up or On its Side
- Demonstrate the following forces:
- with a rope, pull the spool standing up
- with a rope, pull the spool on its side
- Ask: Which was easier to PULL the spool? Standing up or On its Side
*If time allows, push and pull a box with wheels and a handle (a cooler works well)
Part II:
- Place tape on one end of the table and mark as “Start”.
- Place tape about 3 feet across from the start line and mark as “Finish”.
- Students use one finger, to PUSH the spool across the table.
- Standing up
- On its side
- Students use tools to push the spool across the table:
- Tools: pencil, clothespin, cloth, string, paper, straw, pipe cleaner, rubber band
- Discuss: Which tool worked best to push the spool?
- Students use one finger, to PULL the spool across the table.
- Standing up
- On its side
- Students use tools to pull the spool across the table:
- Tools: pencil, clothespin, cloth, string, paper, straw, pipe cleaner, rubber band
- Discuss: Which tool worked best to pull the spool?
- Students explore and experiment with combining materials to push and pull the spool.
- Set up objects, such as blocks and ramps, for students to move the spool up, down and around.
- Explain: You used forces to move the spool. The forces you used were a push and a pull.
- Return materials and clean up.
By Selma Walsh
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