Science · 2nd Grade

Active learning ideas

Forces: Pushes and Pulls

Kids learn forces best when they feel the push and pull themselves. When students move objects and see immediate changes, they connect abstract ideas to real experiences. This hands-on approach builds lasting understanding because motion and force are visible and repeatable in the classroom.

• Common Core State Standards
• K-PS2-1
• K-PS2-2

• 15–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Inquiry Circle
• 45 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Ramp and Roll

Groups build ramps at two different heights using books and cardboard. They roll the same toy car down each ramp and use a ruler to measure where it stops. Students compare how ramp height (which changes the strength of the push) affects how far the car travels.

Explain how a push or a pull can make an object start, stop, or change direction.

Facilitation Tip

During Ramp and Roll, move around the room to observe which surfaces stop the ball fastest and ask students to explain why in one sentence before moving on.

What to look for

Give students a picture of a common object (e.g., a swing, a door, a toy car). Ask them to draw an arrow showing a push or pull and write one sentence explaining how it changes the object's motion or shape.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Simulation Game
• 15 min · Whole Class

Simulation Game: Force Freeze Tag

In a gym or open area, students walk randomly. At the teacher's signal they respond to commands: 'push' means move away from the wall, 'pull' means return to it, and a clap means stop in place. This physical simulation connects the vocabulary of force to students' own bodily experience of starting, stopping, and changing direction.

Compare the effects of different strengths of pushes and pulls on an object.

Facilitation Tip

For Force Freeze Tag, assign one student to be the tagger and another to be the rescuer to model how force direction affects motion for the whole class.

What to look for

Present two scenarios: one where a gentle push makes a toy car move slowly, and another where a strong push makes it move quickly. Ask students: 'What is the difference between these two pushes? How did the difference in push affect the car's motion?'

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 20 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Strong Push vs. Gentle Push

Place a foam ball on a flat surface. One student gives it a gentle push, then a harder push. Partners predict which push will make the ball travel farther before observing, then discuss what changed between the two trials and what would happen with an even stronger push.

Predict how an object will move when a specific force is applied to it.

Facilitation Tip

In Strong Push vs. Gentle Push, provide sentence stems like 'A strong push makes the car go _____, while a gentle push makes it go _____.' to scaffold language for struggling students.

What to look for

Provide students with a set of objects (e.g., a spring, a soft ball, a block). Ask them to demonstrate one way to change the object's shape using a push or pull, and one way to change its motion using a push or pull.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach forces by letting students test ideas themselves first, then guiding them to name what they see. Avoid telling students ‘it’s friction’ before they experience it. Instead, ask, ‘Why did the ball stop here but not there?’ to let evidence guide their understanding. Research shows concrete experiences before abstract labels build stronger science identities in young learners.

Successful learning looks like students describing pushes and pulls as forces that change motion or shape, comparing force strengths, and predicting outcomes based on experience. They should use words like stronger, softer, faster, and slower with confidence during activities and discussions.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Ramp and Roll, watch for students who say the ball stops because it ‘ran out of power.’

  Ask students to run their fingers along the ramp and carpet to feel friction, then ask, ‘What did you feel that might have slowed the ball?’ Guide them to describe friction as the force that stops the ball.

• During Force Freeze Tag, watch for students who think pulling is completely different from pushing.

  After the game, ask students to explain how the tagger used force to change the runner’s motion during a pull versus a push. Highlight that both forces change motion and only the direction differs.

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Methods used in this brief

• Inquiry Circle
• Simulation Game
• Think-Pair-Share