Physics of the Universe · Week 1 · Forces and Motion
The Physicist in Me
Students list the motion questions they wonder about, from skateboards to dust devils, and name the scientist identity they bring.
- Students will
- Students ask testable questions about the forces behind a dust devil, analyze simple data showing how acceleration depends on net force and mass, and describe the scientist identity they bring to physics.
- SEL skill
- Name the curiosity and uncertainty you feel when a physics question has no answer yet
- What it looks like
- Students recognize their own curiosity and name the feelings that come with not knowing yet.
- Content focus
- The physicist in me: forces and motion questions
- Format
- Think write pair share
Self-awareness
Self-awareness is recognizing what you feel, think, and value, and how your strengths and feelings influence your actions. More self-awareness activities
What you get
A teacher guide with what to say, step by step, plus student pages and a supports page for students with diverse learning needs, including those with IEPs. Print or Project it, or assign it in Google Forms and Google Docs for Google Classroom. Your first 10 activities are free.
Standards
- HS-PS2-1: High School Physical Science performance expectation
- Science and engineering practice: SEP1 Asking questions and defining problems
- Crosscutting concept: CCC1 Patterns
- Literacy in science: WHST.11-12.2 Write informative and explanatory texts, including scientific procedures and processes.
- Traditional course: Physics
Fits these textbook chapters
- Physics Techbook, Concept 1.1: Understanding and Describing Motion
- Physics Techbook, Concept 1.2: Newton's Laws
- Inspire Physics, Unit 1: A Physics Toolkit
- Inspire Physics, Unit 1: Representing Motion
- Inspire Physics, Unit 1: Accelerated Motion
- Inspire Physics, Unit 1: Forces in One Dimension
- Inspire Physics, Unit 2: Motion in Two Dimensions
- California HMH Science Dimensions: Physics in the Universe, Unit 1: Motion and Forces
Textbook names are used only to help you find activities that fit what you teach. RoseThread Connect is not affiliated with these publishers.
More self-awareness activities for Physics of the Universe
- Electric Charges Self-awarenessModeling attraction and repulsion between charges and reflecting on what attracts and repels us in hard situations.
- Energy Is Conserved Self-awarenessCalculating energy changes in a system and tracking where students' emotional energy goes during a school day.
- Semester Reflection: My Energy Story Self-awarenessStudents write an energy conservation story of their semester, showing where their effort went and what it built.
- Atoms That Change Self-awarenessModeling radioactive decay and reflecting on which parts of ourselves change and which stay stable.
RoseThread Connect activities are drafted with the help of AI and shaped by educators. Students never have to share anything personal. Our five SEL skills are informed by CASEL's SEL Framework; RoseThread Learning is not affiliated with or endorsed by CASEL.