An interdisciplinary lesson
allows students to
experience
physical science
firsthand.
By April Seeds, Gretchen
Pollom, and Bill Burton
W
hen students are asked about
their favorite classes, they often recall
subjects that are experiential. In science
classes, hands-on lessons contribute to a high engagement level. In physical education classes, kinesthetic activities contribute to gross motor development and coordination while keeping students engaged. Integrating
these two experiential subjects offered an opportunity
to create a highly engaging lesson, allowing us to take
advantage of young children’s natural desire to play
while exploring academic disciplines.
In the book SPARK, John Ratey (Ratey and
Hagerman 2008) explains how exercise prepares your brain to learn. He says that exercise
has a way of waking up the brain and preparing it to function in the learning environment.
Ratey also notes that regular exercise increases
performance on standardized tests. In one of
his case studies, a school in Naperville, Illinois,
was highlighted for its strong physical education program. As expected, this school had a
much lower obesity rate than similar schools. But
what’s more striking is that the school as a whole
outperformed other schools worldwide in the Trends in
Copyright © 2015, National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). Reprinted with
permission from Science and Children, Vol. 52, No. 6, Feb. 2015.
For more information, go to http://www.nsta.org/elementaryschool
February 2015
39
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE AUTHORS
Force plates were set up to measure the force exerted by student-thrown playground balls.
International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS).
This school ranked first in science, slightly higher than the
school in Singapore that participated in the study (Ratey
and Hagerman 2008). Ratey does not claim that exercise is
the sole reason for the success in academics and standardized tests. But he states that “fitness plays a pivotal role in
its students’ academic achievements” (Ratey and Hagerman 2008, p. 15).
In an effort to incorporate science into our early childhood physical education program, the physical education teacher worked with kindergarten teachers, a science teacher, and the science curriculum coordinator.
Together we looked at the science content that had been
discussed in kindergarten science classes and brainstormed possible avenues of integration. We decided that
force, motion, and simple machines would be a good science topic for physical education integration. Three of us
collaborated to design a kinesthetic experience that not
only introduced students to major muscle groups used
in certain exercises but also reinforced their background
40
Science and Children
science knowledge with respect to force, motion,
and simple machines. See “Safety Notes” (p. 43)
for important safety precautions concerning these
activities.
Station Setup
For this lesson, we set up five interactive stations and had
students rotate through to experience different forces, motions, and simple machines.
Station 1 consisted of a wheel and axle and pulley. A
pulley and eyehook were securely attached to the wall.
We threaded a rope through the pulley and tied one end
to a physical education scooter. Participants in the class
would sit on the scooter and use a pulling force on the rope
to move themselves across the gym floor. In addition to
learning about the simple machines, students would discuss the large muscle groups in the upper back and arms.
For station 2, we attached a Vernier force plate to the
wall. Students would sit on a physical education scooter
Physical Education Meets Physical Science
and use their feet to push back from the
wall. The amount of force was recorded
on a Vernier LabQuest 2. This station
was meant to help students explore a
pushing force and learn about the large
muscle groups of the legs. We used a
padded physical education mat behind
this station in case students tipped over
on their scooter.
Station 3 used another Vernier force
plate sitting flat on the floor. In two
trials, participants would drop and
then throw a playground ball onto the
force plate. A LabQuest 2 graphed the
amount of force for each trial. This activity was designed to explore forces
and the muscles in the arms and back.
Station 4 used a Pitsco Big Gear
Demonstrator with a physical education
scooter. Working in pairs, one student
would sit on the scooter while another
student turned the gear handles. They Force plates attached to the walls allowed student to measure a push.
would explore the amount of work required to move their partner across the
gym floor.
For station 5, an eyehook and pulley were attached to a
At the beginning of class, students sat in pre-determined
ceiling beam. A rope was threaded through the pulley and
groups of four or five. During the introduction, teachers
tied to a bucket. A selection of wooden blocks could be
explained that today’s class was going to combine physical
added to the bucket. Participants would conduct various
education with science. To assess prior learning that had
trials with different weights. This was meant to explore
taken place in kindergarten science classes, teachers asked
the amount of force required to lift the bucket by pulling
questions such as, “What is force?” “What is a simple
on the other end of the rope. This action
machine?” and “What does motion mean?” During this
used the large muscles of the arms and
part of the lesson students demonstrated their prior sciback.
ence understanding by describing a force as a “push” or a
“pull.” For simple machines, they listed “a wheel” and an
“inclined plane.”
Lesson Introduction
Equipment Alternatives
Not every school has Vernier technology or Pitsco’s
STEM in the Gym equipment available for use (see
Internet Resources). Analog bathroom scales can
be used instead of force plates and set up in a
similar fashion. For a setup using bathroom scales,
someone would have to watch the scale during
the activity to record data manually. Instead of
the Pitsco gear system, additional pulley systems
could be used. While the different-size gears
demonstrated the basic concept of mechanical
advantage, a two-pulley system can demonstrate
the same concept at a lower cost.
February 2015
41
For this particular lesson, teachers
informed students that they would be
investigating forces in physical education and exploring how some simple machines help us accomplish work. Before
beginning the active part of the lesson,
teachers explained each station while
demonstrating how each station worked.
Safety precautions were reviewed. Teachers also asked everyone to think about
which forces and simple machines were
being used at each station.
Active Exploration
Students participated in these five stations during the course of two 30-minute
class periods. These class periods were
team-taught by two teachers. The entire Student explored leg muscles by pushing off the wall on a scooter.
class of 16 students rotated through each
At one point, the teacher asked, “What would happen if
station, spending roughly 7–8 minutes on each activity.
we
turned the scooter upside down and used it that way?”
The stations with the pulleys and gears were largely
The
students thought for a moment. One boy suggested,
self-directed and exploratory. Students were able to com“You
won’t go as fast,” and a girl said, “It would just drag
plete each station on their own while changing certain
on
the
floor.” Students flipped the scooters upside down to
variables such as weight in the bucket or the gear that
test
their
ideas (NGSS Performance Expectation K-PS2-1
turns (the large or small one).
Plan
and
conduct an investigation to compare the effects
As students experimented with these stations, sevof
different
strengths or different directions of pushes and
eral things happened. As the weight was increased
pulls
on
the
motion of an object).
in the bucket, students noticed that it required more
The
two
stations
that included the Vernier force plates
work to lift and several mentioned that their muscles
and
LabQuest
2
devices
needed more support and were
were getting tired. Students made similar statements
directly led by teachers. Normally in physical education
about muscles getting tired when students turned the
classes, the forces students experience are largely subjeclarge gears.
tive. The use of Vernier force plates
combined with the display of the
LabQuest 2 allowed students to see a
numerical difference in the forces they
were creating. Although students at
this grade level haven’t necessarily
learned what the units of force mean,
they had a good understanding that a
higher number meant more force had
been applied.
Turning gear handles pulled students on scooters across the floor.
42
Science and Children
Physical Education Meets Physical Science
Teachers held the LabQuest 2 so students could see
the screen as they pushed off from the wall-mounted force
plate. There was a gross motor learning curve for the students in this activity. At first students concentrated mainly on balancing skills while pushing against the force plate.
This resulted in a lower force reading. As students became
more proficient at this activity, their ability to balance
and push improved. Their force readings also increased.
When pushing off the wall force plate, the students noticed, “If we push harder, we move faster” (NGSS Disciplinary Core Idea PS3.C: Relationship Between Energy
and Forces: A bigger push or pull makes things go faster;
Science and Engineering Practice: Analyzing and Interpreting Data).
A teacher also led the second station that used a force
plate set flat on the ground. During the two trials at this
station, students first simply dropped a playground ball
onto the force plate while the LabQuest 2 recorded the
data. In the second trial, students threw the ball onto the
force plate and collected data. Students were able to compare the impact force between their two trials. The teacher
asked students to observe the amount of force registered
on the LabQuest2 when they dropped the ball compared
to when they threw the ball. One student said, “The ball
pushes harder and has more force when you throw it. It’s
a bigger number” (NGSS Disciplinary
Core Idea PS2.A Forces and Motion:
Pushes and pulls can have different
strengths and directions; Science
and Engineering Practice: Analyzing and Interpreting Data).
Wrap-Up and
Assessment
Toward the end of each
class, students gathered
again in their groupings. As a class we
discussed the expe-
rience. The purpose of this discussion was to recap the
activities of the day so students could share how their
experiences were similar or different. In addition, teachers asked open-ended questions as a form of an informal
assessment.
The teacher asked, “What can you tell me about what
we learned today?” The responses were varied. One student said, “It was harder to pull the bucket up when it had
Safety Notes
Each station should be directly supervised by an
adult.
Station 1
• Safety glasses are required for this activity.
Use caution if the rope falls to the floor (trip/
fall hazard). Make sure observers stand clear
of the scooter’s path. Remind students not to
use jerky motions that could cause the scooter
to flip over and cause injury.
• Tie a knot in the rope several feet from where
it’s attached to the scooter to prevent the
students from pulling until they hit the wall.
Station 2
• Make sure observers stand clear of the
scooter’s path.
Station 3
• Use only softer playground balls. Safety
glasses are required for smaller balls or other
objects that might present an eye hazard.
Station 4
• Instruct students to tie long hair back, to not
operate the gear if they are wearing loose
clothing or jewelry, and to keep their fingers
clear of the gears (pinch hazard). Remind
students not to use jerky motions that could
cause the scooter to flip over and cause
injury. Make sure observers stand clear of the
scooter’s path.
Station 5
• Safety glasses are required for this activity.
Instruct students to stand back a significant
distance from the bucket—never beneath it.
The students pulling the bucket should wear
sanitized hard hats to prevent head injuries
should the blocks accidentally fall out of the
bucket when elevated. Additionally, students
should be instructed to raise and lower the
bucket slowly and gently.
February 2015
43
Physical Education Meets Physical Science
more blocks.” Some students shared that it was a challenge
to balance on a scooter while pulling themselves. Another
student reflected, “When I threw the ball, it had more
force than when I just dropped it” (Disciplinary Core Idea
PS2.A Forces and Motion: Pushes and pulls can have different strengths and directions).
The teacher asked, “What happened when we turned
the scooter upside down and tried it that way?”
One student answered, “When you ride on the scooter upside down, you just drag it. But it’s easier when you
use the wheels.”
Connecting to the Next
Generation Science Standards
(NGSS Lead States 2013)
K-PS2 Motion and Stability: Forces
and Motion
www.nextgenscience.org/kps2-motion-stability-forcesinteractions
The materials/lessons/activities outlined in this
article are just one step toward reaching the
Performance Expectations listed below. Additional
supporting materials/lessons/activities will be
required.
Performance Expectation
K-PS2-1 Plan and conduct an investigation to
compare the effects of different strengths or
different directions of pushes and pulls on the
motion of an object.
Science and Engineering Practice
Analyzing and Interpreting Data
Disciplinary Core Ideas
PS2.A: Forces and Motion
• Pushes and pulls can have different strengths
and directions.
PS2.B: Types of Interactions
• When objects touch or collide, they push on one
another and can change motion.
PS3.C: Relationship Between Energy and Forces
• A bigger push or pull makes things speed up or
slow down more quickly.
Crosscutting Concept
Cause and Effect
Connection to Nature of Science
Scientists use different ways to study the world.
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Science and Children
The teacher also said, “Think about your science
classes. What forces did we experience today?”
One student responded, “They were called pushes
and pulls.”
“Think about what happened when you pushed off
the force plate,” the teacher said. “Can you point to the
muscles you used?”
Students pointed to their legs.
“What about when you were pulling yourself on the
scooter?” she asked.
Students pointed to their arms.
The physical education teacher asked about the muscles used at other stations and students pointed to the
corresponding muscle groups.
Conclusion
Connecting disciplines together through a common experience builds greater engagement and helps students
retain what they’ve learned. In many cases, core subjects
are the first to be integrated together into a single lesson.
But, there are many opportunities in the school day to
find ways to blend seemingly disparate subject matter.
Early childhood students are just beginning to build
connections in the world around them. These connections serve as a foundation for future learning. We should
explore teaching methods that help students discover
connections between disciplines. ■
April Seeds ([email protected]) is a
physical education teacher at The Lamplighter School
in Dallas, Texas. Gretchen Pollom is a science coordinator at The Perot Museum of Nature and Science in
Dallas, Texas. Bill Burton is a science teacher and science curriculum coordinator at The Lamplighter School
in Dallas, Texas.
References
NGSS Lead States. 2013. Next Generation Science Standards:
For states, by states. Washington, DC: National Academies
Press. www.nextgenscience.org/next-generation- sciencestandards.
Ratey, J., and E. Hagerman. 2008. Spark: The revolutionary new
science of exercise and the brain. New York: Little Brown and
Company.
Internet Resources
Pitsco Education: STEM in the Gym
www.pitsco.com/STEM_Education/STEM_in_the_Gym
Vernier
www.vernier.com