A couple of weeks ago we began a new Project Lead the Way science unit focused on forces and motion called "Pushes and Pulls."  In this unit, we are exploring and identifying different pushes and pulls as well as the effect of different strengths and different directions of pushes and pulls on the motion of objects.  We began the unit by looking for examples of pushes and pulls during recess one day.  This was when we had plenty of snow, so sleds were the most obvious example, but once we started looking we noticed pushes and pulls everywhere: pulling on boots and snow pants to go outside, pushing the door open, pushing and pulling pencils to write, pushing trucks on the playground, pushing and pulling to pump on swings, and on and on.

The last two Wednesdays, children have had an opportunity to experiment with pushes and pulls in  different stations, exploring the effect of characteristics such as weight, size, shape, and surface texture on the amount of force needed to move an object or influence its movement.  These stations have been lots of fun and have led to some great questions and insights about motion.  I saw some particularly innovative ways of getting objects to change direction while in motion.