Science · Grade 2

Active learning ideas

Designing a Movement Solution

Active learning works because designing movement solutions requires students to experience forces firsthand. When students build and test, they move from abstract ideas about simple machines to concrete understanding of how forces redirect effort.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• K-2-ETS1-1
• K-2-ETS1-2

• 30–60 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Hundred Languages
• 60 min · Small Groups

Design Challenge: The Inclined Plane Elevator

Students work in small groups to design and build a system using only cardboard, string, and craft sticks to move a small toy figure from the floor to a table. They must incorporate an inclined plane into their design and explain how it reduces the force needed.

Design a system to move a heavy object from one table to another.

Facilitation Tip

During Design Challenge Kickoff, provide labeled bins of simple machine parts so students can physically group ideas before sketching.

• Understand
• Apply
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Hundred Languages
• 45 min · Small Groups

Simple Machine Station Exploration

Set up stations with different simple machines (lever, pulley, wheel and axle, inclined plane). Students experiment with each machine, using it to move a standardized weight, recording their observations about how the machine affects the effort required.

Justify the choice of simple machines used in your design.

Facilitation Tip

At Prototyping Stations, set a 10-minute timer for building so students focus on quick iterations rather than perfecting early versions.

• Understand
• Apply
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Hundred Languages
• 30 min · Whole Class

Prototype Testing and Peer Review

Groups present their movement solutions to the class. Students use a simple checklist to evaluate each design based on effectiveness, ease of use, and the justification of simple machine choices. This promotes constructive feedback.

Evaluate the effectiveness of different design solutions for moving an object.

Facilitation Tip

For the Evaluation Gallery Walk, place a dot next to designs that meet the success criteria so students can see patterns during peer review.

• Understand
• Apply
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach this as a cycle of inquiry: start with constraints, then build, test, and revise. Avoid rushing to the 'right' answer, as multiple solutions exist. Research shows students learn best when they document their process, so provide recording sheets for sketches and notes. Focus on process language like 'tested,' 'adjusted,' and 'observed,' rather than 'fixed' or 'perfect.'

Students will select appropriate simple machines, justify their choices, and refine designs through testing. Successful work shows clear connections between machine properties, material choices, and task efficiency.

---

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Design Challenge Kickoff, watch for students assuming simple machines create force from nothing.

  Have them sketch arrows showing where they will push or pull, then during Prototyping Stations, ask them to measure how much string or how many blocks they used to move the object.

• During Prototyping Stations, watch for students assuming the strongest design uses the most materials.

  Point to wobbly or tipping prototypes and ask, 'Does more material always mean it works better?' During Evaluation Gallery Walk, have peers compare lightweight vs. heavy designs.

• During Evaluation Gallery Walk, watch for students thinking there is only one correct solution.

  Ask them to find one design that moves the object quietly, one that moves it fastest, and one that uses the least string, highlighting that success depends on the goal.

---

Methods used in this brief

• Hundred Languages