An interdisciplinary lesson allows students to experience physical science firsthand. By April Seeds, Gretchen Pollom, and Bill Burton

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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

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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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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