What Is This Unit About?

In Pushes and Pulls, students act as engineers to figure out how to design a pinball machine that actually works! Along the way, they explore ideas about forces and figure out how to make things start moving, move a certain distance, move in a certain direction, and change direction. Students see how models can be used to try out their ideas, and they draw diagrams and complete several design goals as they work toward figuring out how to design a class pinball machine. 

What Science Vocabulary Words Do Students Use?

The words listed here are the most important science words that students use throughout the unit. The vocabulary words are introduced one at a time throughout the unit and not all at once. Getting familiar with these definitions, which are sometimes different from how people use these words in everyday life, may be useful as you support your student’s at-home learning. Your student will have a glossary that includes these words.

• design: to try to make something new that people want or need

diseñar: intentar hacer algo nuevo que las personas quieren o necesitan

• direction: the way something is facing or moving, such as left, right, toward you, or away from you

dirección: la forma en que algo se enfrenta o se mueve, como izquierda, derecha, hacia usted, o lejos de usted

• distance: how far it is between two things

distancia: la medida entre dos cosas

• exert: to cause a force to act on an object

ejercer: hacer que una fuerza afecte a un objeto

• engineer: a person who makes something in order to solve a problem

ingeniero: una persona que hace algo para solucionar un problema

• force: a push or a pull

fuerza: un empuje o un jalón

• object: a thing that can be seen or touched

objeto: una cosa que se puede ver o tocar

• solution: something that helps people do what they want or need to do

solución: algo que ayuda a las personas a hacer lo que quieren o necesitan hacer

• visualize: to make a picture in your mind

visualizar: hacer una imagen en tu mente

What Do Students Read?

These books give students a chance to learn about the science concepts in Pushes and Pulls through stories, illustrations and photos, and real-world examples. The books also help students get more evidence to answer the questions in the unit. You and your student can enjoy these books together, and you can read them multiple times.

*Click for directions to reading the books.

Pushes and Pulls

Questions for At-Home Discussion

Chapter 1

● Let’s try to think of many different ways we could make a ball start to move. How could we do it?

● I hear you are going to design a Class Pinball Machine. What are all the things you think a great pinball machine should be able to do it?

Chapter 2

● Imagine we wanted to make a tennis ball go as far across the park as we could. What do you think would make it go far?

● Let’s try to find evidence of forces around our home or in the neighborhood. What forces are being exerted?

Chapter 3

● Imagine we wanted to make a toy car zigzag back and forth across the floor. How do you think we could make it do that?

● What do you think an engineer does?

Chapter 4

● What have you learned about forces? What do you still wonder?

● What can you tell me about your Box Model and your Class Pinball Machine?

Amplify Family Resources website:  amplify.com/amplify-science-family-resources-es