Objective

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to understand the concept of motion and its relationship with force and energy.

Materials and Prep

• Pencil and paper
• Toy cars or any small objects that can roll
• A flat surface to create a mini racetrack
• A ruler or measuring tape

Before starting the lesson, make sure you have a basic understanding of what force and energy are.

Activities

1. Rolling Race:

   Set up a mini racetrack using a flat surface. Place two toy cars at the starting point and give them a gentle push. Observe and measure how far each car travels. Discuss why one car went farther than the other.

2. Force Experiment:

   Take two similar objects, like two empty plastic bottles, and place them side by side. Push one bottle gently and the other one with more force. Observe and discuss the differences in the distance each bottle traveled. Explain how the force applied affects the motion of an object.

3. Elastic Energy:

   Take a rubber band and stretch it between your fingers. Release one end and observe how it moves. Discuss how the energy stored in the stretched rubber band causes it to snap back into its original shape.

Third Grade Talking Points

• "Motion is when an object changes its position over time."
• "Force is a push or a pull that can make an object move, stop, or change direction."
• "Energy is what makes things happen. It can be stored or transferred from one object to another."
• "When we push the toy cars, we are applying force to make them move. The car that went farther had more force applied to it."
• "In the force experiment, we observed that the bottle pushed with more force traveled a greater distance. The amount of force applied affects how far an object moves."
• "When we stretch a rubber band, we store energy in it. When we let go, the stored energy is released, causing the rubber band to snap back."