What Is This Unit About?

In Balancing Forces, students take on the role of scientists working to figure out how a floating train works. Scientists and engineers have figured out a way to build a train that floats as it cruises down the track at high speeds. Students work to investigate and then explain how this train works in order to reassure the people in a nearby town that the train is safe. As they do, students figure out how forces like gravity and magnetic force can cause objects to move or stay still.

What Science Vocabulary Words Do Students Use?

These are the most important science words that students use throughout the unit. 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.

• attract: to pull on an object, even without touching it
  atraer: jalar un objeto, aun sin tocarlo

• balanced forces: multiple forces of equal strength acting on an object
  fuerzas en balance: varias fuerzas de la misma intensidad actuando sobre un objeto

• diagram: an illustration that shows how something works or what its parts are
  diagrama: una ilustración que muestra cómo funciona algo o cuáles son sus partes

• exert: to cause a force to act on an object
  ejercer: hacer que una fuerza actúe sobre un objeto

• force: a push or a pull
  fuerza: un empujón o un jalón

• gravity: the pull between Earth and other objects, which acts even without touching
  gravedad: el jalón entre la Tierra y otros objetos, lo cual actúa aun sin tocar

• magnet: an object that pulls on some kinds of metal and pushes and pulls on other magnets, even without touching them
  imán: un objeto que atrae a algunos tipos de metal, y que atrae y repele a otros imanes aun sin tocarlos

• magnetic force: the push or pull between two magnets, or the pull of a magnet on some kinds of metal
  fuerza magnética: el empujón o jalón entre dos imanes, o el jalón entre un imán y algunos tipos de metal

• non-touching force: a force that acts between objects that are not touching each other
  fuerza a distancia: una fuerza que actúa entre objetos que no se están tocando

• repel: to push on an object, even without touching it
  repeler: empujar un objeto, aún sin tocarlo

• touching force: a force that acts between objects that are touching each other
  fuerza de contacto: una fuerza que actúa entre objetos que se tocan

• unbalanced forces: multiple forces of unequal strength acting on an object

      fuerzas no en balance: varias fuerzas de diferentes intensidades actuando sobre un objeto 

What Do Students Read?

Your student will read these books, which give them a chance to learn about the science concepts in the unit through stories, illustrations and photos, real-world examples, and information about real scientists and engineers. Your student does not need to read the books on their own. These books can be enjoyed together, and you can read them multiple times.

*Click for directions to reading the books.

Balancing Forces

Questions for At-Home Discussion

Chapter 1

● Let’s try to think of all the different ways we could make a ball start moving. 

    How could we do it?

● I hear you’re learning about a floating train. What do you think makes it work?

   What questions do you have about it?

Chapter 2

● Do you think we could make a paperclip move without touching it? How?

● What do you know about magnets? What do you wonder about them?

Chapter 3

● When I let go of my keys, they fall to the floor. What do you think makes them move?

● What are some differences between different kinds of forces?

Chapter 4

● If I hold you up in my arms, are there forces at work? What forces? Are there forces even if you’re not moving?

● If we were going to build a toy bridge, what forces do you think we would need to think about?

Chapter 5

● What have you figured out about how the floating train works?

● What questions do you still have about magnetic force, gravity, or other forces?

Amplify Family Resources website: amplify.com/amplify-science-family-resource-intro