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    Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions

Students who demonstrate understanding can:

Performance Expectations

  1. Analyze data to support the claim that Newton’s second law of motion describes the mathematical relationship among the net force on a macroscopic object, its mass, and its acceleration. HS-PS2-1

    Clarification Statement and Assessment Boundary

A Peformance Expectation (PE) is what a student should be able to do to show mastery of a concept. Some PEs include a Clarification Statement and/or an Assessment Boundary. These can be found by clicking the PE for "More Info." By hovering over a PE, its corresponding pieces from the Science and Engineering Practices, Disciplinary Core Ideas, and Crosscutting Concepts will be highlighted.

Science and Engineering Practices

Analyzing and Interpreting Data

Analyzing data in 9–12 builds on K–8 experiences and progresses to introducing more detailed statistical analysis, the comparison of data sets for consistency, and the use of models to generate and analyze data.

Disciplinary Core Ideas

Crosscutting Concepts

By clicking on a specific Science and Engineering Practice, Disciplinary Core Idea, or Crosscutting Concept, you can find out more information on it. By hovering over one you can find its corresponding elements in the PEs.

Planning Curriculum

Common Core State Standards Connections

ELA/Literacy

  • RST.11-12.1 - Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to important distinctions the author makes and to any gaps or inconsistencies in the account. (HS-PS2-1)
  • RST.11-12.7 - Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., quantitative data, video, multimedia) in order to address a question or solve a problem. (HS-PS2-1)
  • WHST.11-12.9 - Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. (HS-PS2-1)

Mathematics

  • HSA-CED.A.1 - Create equations and inequalities in one variable and use them to solve problems. Include equations arising from linear and quadratic functions, and simple rational and exponential functions. (HS-PS2-1)
  • HSA-CED.A.2 - Create equations in two or more variables to represent relationships between quantities; graph equations on coordinate axes with labels and scales. (HS-PS2-1)
  • HSA-CED.A.4 - Rearrange formulas to highlight a quantity of interest, using the same reasoning as in solving equations. (HS-PS2-1)
  • HSA-SSE.A.1 - Interpret expressions that represent a quantity in terms of its context. (HS-PS2-1)
  • HSA-SSE.B.3 - Choose and produce an equivalent form of an expression to reveal and explain properties of the quantity represented by the expression.★ (HS-PS2-1)
  • HSF-IF.C.7 - Graph functions expressed symbolically and show key features of the graph, by hand in simple cases and using technology for more complicated cases. (HS-PS2-1)
  • HSN-Q.A.1 - Use units as a way to understand problems and to guide the solution of multi-step problems; choose and interpret units consistently in formulas; choose and interpret the scale and the origin in graphs and data displays. (HS-PS2-1)
  • HSN-Q.A.2 - Define appropriate quantities for the purpose of descriptive modeling. (HS-PS2-1)
  • HSN-Q.A.3 - Choose a level of accuracy appropriate to limitations on measurement when reporting quantities. (HS-PS2-1)
  • HSS-ID.A.1 - Represent data with plots on the real number line (dot plots, histograms, and box plots). (HS-PS2-1)
  • MP.2 - Reason abstractly and quantitatively. (HS-PS2-1)
  • MP.4 - Model with mathematics. (HS-PS2-1)

Model Course Mapping

First Time Visitors

Resources & Lesson Plans

  • More resources added each week!
    A team of teacher curators is working to find, review, and vet online resources that support the standards. Check back often, as NSTA continues to add more targeted resources.
  • Red Bull Space Jump - PHENOMENON

    This is a youtube video of the highlights of the Red Bull space jump, it is 1:21 minutes long. To initiate driving questions for a unit on forces, students might ask: Why did Felix have to wear a spacesuit for the jump? How long was Felix falling? Wh ...

  • Feather and Bowling Ball Drop in Huge Vacuum Chamber

    This is a video of the world’s largest vacuum chamber in which a feather and a bowling ball are dropped at the same time to see which one hits the ground first. This phenomena can be used to elicit driving questions for the unit such as: Why do ...

  • Atwood's Machine Simulation

    This simulation includes a wheeled cart on a horizontal surface that is tied to a mass with a string that passes over a pulley. The mass hangs over the edge of the table, and when the cart is released the mass accelerates down towards the ground. The ...

  • Elevator Ride Simulation

    This resource includes an interactive simulation of a person in an elevator and can simulate riding upward or downward two different distances. There is a free body diagram of the person next to the image of the elevator and as the elevator moves the ...

  • Kites and Forces

    This lesson is in the form of a lesson plan with teacher notes and a video that introduces the various parts of the activity including timed breaks for students to complete hands on activity related to the topic. This lesson introduces aerodynamics u ...

  • Heavy vs. Light Falling Objects

    Students are walked through analyzing data representing  the dropping of a heavy ball and a light ball, making predictions before they see the position vs. time and velocity vs. time graphs for each of these actions. Follow up questions ask abou ...

  • Newton's 2nd law inquiry lab

    This is a description of an inquiry lab in which students use skate boards, timers, length measuring equipment, and students to investigate the relationship between force and acceleration. In the process of their investigation the students will ident ...

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  •  Projectile Motion

    From TeachEngineering - Students are introduced to the concept of projectile motion, of which they are often familiar from life experiences, such as playing sports like basketball and baseball, even though they may not understand the physics involved...

  •  Beyond the Egg Drop Act. 6G

    Golf Ball Boat

  •  Newton's Second Law Investigation

  •  Summary of Velocity: Free Fall

    The goal of the Velocity: Free Fall virtual lab is to allow students to investigate how height and mass impact speed and time. Students conduct experiments to understand the relationship between a ball’s mass, its final speed and its acceleration whe...

  •  Summary of Velocity & Air Resistance

    The goal of the Velocity & Air Resistance virtual lab is to allow students to investigate how height and mass impact speed and time. Students conduct experiments to understand the relationship between a ball’s mass and volume, its final speed, and it...

  •  Summary of Motion and Forces: Introduction

    The goal of the Motion and Forces virtual lab is to allow students to investigate how forces impact the motion of a wooden sled. Students conduct experiments to understand the relationship between height, mass, friction, and gravity.

  •  Summary of Motion and Forces on Different Planetary Bod ...

    The goal of the Motion and Forces virtual lab is to allow students to investigate how forces impact the motion of a wooden sled. Students conduct experiments to understand the relationship between height, mass, friction, and gravity.

  •  Video based mechanics labs

    I have developed a series of video based labs that allow students to 'make up' labs they missed, or for distance learning. The three I have so far are (1) constant velocity, (2) constant acceleration, and (3) acceleration and force/mass. The activiti...

Planning Curriculum gives connections to other areas of study for easier curriculum creation.