How the World Works

An inquiry into the natural world and its laws; the interaction between the natural world (physical and biological) and human societies; how humans use their understanding of scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on society and on the environment.

Central Idea: People use their understanding of science to invent and make.

Physical Science - Forces and Interactions: Pushes and Pulls

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.

K-PS2-2. Analyze data to determine if a design solution works as intended to change the speed or direction of an object with a push or a pull.

K-2ETS-1-1Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change to define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool.

Book Resources in the iCommons

1. Sheep in a Jeep by Nancy Shaw. Summary: Records the misadventures of a group of sheep that go riding in a jeep. (Fiction)

2. Make it Move by Susan Canizares; Summary: Simple text and photographs present people making things move, from the bouncing of balls to the pedaling of bikes. (Nonfiction)

3. Push or Pull by Susan Canizares; Summary: Simple text and photographs explore the many things that can be moved by pushing or pulling, from swings and mowers to wagons and ropes. (Nonfiction)

4. Motion: Push and Pull, Fast and Slow by Darlene Stille; Summary: Provides information about how and why things move, and includes fun facts, a related experiment, and a glossary. (Nonfiction)

5. How Toys Bounce by Helen Whittaker; Summary: Explains how different pushing and pulling forces help bouncing toys work, and the effect they have on the toy's movements such as a change in direction or speed. Includes an activity and an experiment. (Nonfiction)

6. How Toys Fly by Helen Whittaker; Summary: Explains how pushing and pulling forces help flying toys move, and the effect they have on the toy's movements such as a change in direction or speed. Includes an activity and an experiment. (Nonfiction)

7. My Tooth is Loose, Mr. Moose by Teresa Johnston; Summary; When Lily Leopard, Simon Squirrel, and Benjamin Bunny have loose teeth, they go to Dr. Moose the dentist, who gets rid of the patients' loose teeth with such "Moose Magic" techniques as wiggling, pushing and pulling, and giving a patient a crunchy carrot to eat (Fiction)

8. Out of the Blue by Alison Jay; Summary: When a giant octopus entangled in fishing line is washed ashore during a big storm and becomes stranded on the beach, a young boy and girl, assisted by various sea creatures, push and pull him back to sea. Includes endnotes on marine life, lighthouses, and items that wash up on beaches. (Fiction)

9. The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper; Summary: When the other engines refuse, the Little Blue Engine tries to pull a stranded train full of toys and good food over the mountain. (Fiction)

10 Trevors Wiggly Wobbly Tooth by Lester Laminack; Summary: Although he is happy about having a loose tooth, Trevor worries when his classmates tell him some of the ways others might try to pull out the tooth. (Fiction)

11. Newton and Me by Lynne Mayor; Summary: A young boy learns about how Isaac Newton's Laws of Motion work while pulling a wagon, riding a bike, and having fun with his dog Newton. (Fiction)

12. Gilberto and the Wind by Marie Hall Ets; Summary: A young boy finds in the wind a playmate of many moods: one that can sail boats, fly kites, blow dirt, and turn umbrellas inside out. (Fiction)

13. Matter: See it, Touch it, Feel it by Darlene Stille; Summary: Provides information about matter, explaining what it is, describing the three different kinds of matter, and looking at how it changes from one form to another. Includes fun facts, an activity, and a glossary. (Nonfiction)