SEEd: Inv. Forces- Lesson 1 Pushes, Pulls, and Motion

​What is force?

Discuss at your table​

The next few slides contain images of the “sailing stones” of Death Valley National Park near the border of California and Nevada.

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• It is the driest and lowest place in North America.

• Although no one has ever seen them moving, people have observed evidence that large rocks move across the desert ground, seemingly by themselves.

• They even leave trails behind them. ​

Discuss at your table

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A force is a push OR a pull

PUSH​

• The wind slowly pushes the rocks forward as the ice melts under them.

• The force of the wind causes the rocks to move, leaving a trail behind them.

• Pushes and pulls act on objects in certain directions.

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• ​Forces can cause objects to change motion, direction, or speed.

Write down any "I wonder...." statements or questions you might come up with about FORCES on a sticky note.

• You push the pencil to move it along the paper.

• You pull the pencil to pick it up.​

​Discuss at your table

​The pencil changed motion by the amount of pressure used to move it back and forth when writing.

More force pressing down makes the writing darker.

PUSH forces move the object in the direction of the push.

(Push forces should have an arrow facing the object in your drawing.​)

PUSH forces move the object in the direction of the push.

(Pull forces should have an arrow facing away from the object in your drawing.​)