Activity Plans

2-Week Integrated Unit Plans

Activity plans listed here were created by pre-service early childhood or elementary education students from East Tennessee State University. They are grounded in the 5Es instructional model. Note that the plans were posted as submitted.

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CATAPULTS (K-4th Grade)
Unit Plan Title: Exploring pushes and pulls and building a catapult

Science Concept - DCI: Physical science – forces and motion
Teacher candidate name: Emmalee Atkins (Spring 2019)
Grade ranges: K-3rd
 
Description: Over two weeks, students will explore hands-on challenges, view videos, write, and talk about forces including pushes and pulls. They will think about what the difference is between these two types of forces and how different strengths of forces impact motion. Students will then apply what they learned in the activities to engineer a catapult.

​TN Science Standard: 3.PS3 Energy is present when objects move; describe effects of energy transfer from one object to another

​NGSS Standard: 
PS3.B:  Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer

• Energy is present whenever there are moving objects, sound, light, or heat. When objects collide, energy can be transferred from one object to another, thereby changing their motion. In such collisions, some energy is typically also transferred to the surrounding air; as a result, the air gets heated and sound is produced. (4-PS3-2), (4-PS3-3)

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PING PONG LAUNCHERS (3rd-4th grade)
​Unit Plan Title: Ping Pong Ball Launchers and Energy Transfer

Science Concept - DCI: Physical science – forces and motion
Teacher candidate name: Anna Lowe (Sexton) (Spring 2018)
Grade ranges: 3rd
 
Description: Students will talk about pushes and pulls in this unit, build ping pong ball launchers, and read books on forces. 

TN Science Standard: 3.PS3 Energy is present when objects move; describe effects of energy transfer from one object to another

NGSS Standard: 
PS3.B:  Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer

• Energy is present whenever there are moving objects, sound, light, or heat. When objects collide, energy can be transferred from one object to another, thereby changing their motion. In such collisions, some energy is typically also transferred to the surrounding air; as a result, the air gets heated and sound is produced. (4-PS3-2), (4-PS3-3)

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WATER SOUNDS (1st-2nd grade)
​Unit Plan Title: Sound and Vibrations Integrated Unit​

Science Concept - DCI: Physical Science – Relationship Between Sound and Vibration
Teacher candidate name: Boyd Sydney (Spring, 2019)

Grade ranges: Second Grade

Description: This activity is based on the concept of sound and its cause and effect relationship with vibrating materials. Students will be conducting and planning investigations on how to observe the relationship.

TN Science Standard: 2.PS4 (Waves and Their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer)
 Plan and conduct investigations to demonstrate the cause and effect relationship between vibrating materials (tuning forks, water, bells) and sounds.

NGSS Standard: 
1-PS4: Waves and Their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer​

• Plan and conduct investigations to provide evidence that vibrating materials can make sound and that sound can make materials vibrate. (1-PS4-1)