Page 78 - EdViewptsSpring2019-web

Building Coherency in K-4:

Forces, Motion, and Energy

By Kim Feltre, Ed.D., K-12 Science Supervisor, HMS STEM Supervisor,
Hillsborough Township Public Schools; William Banko, M.D., President of

Knowing Science, LLC; Dario Capasso, Ph.D., Science Director at Knowing
Science, LLC

Learning progressions of natural phenomena is central Kindergarten – Motion
within the Next Generation throughout grades K-5, as opposed and Stability: Forces and
to focusing only on description in the
Science Standards (NGSS) early grades and leaving explanation Interactions

help students build on to the later grades” (National Research Kindergarten learning experiences
Council, 2012, p. 26). The following
help students to understand that mo-
prior knowledge, make describes a kindergarten, third grade, tion means going from one place to
connections, and develop and fourth grade set of learning another and can be described in terms
experiences to demonstrate how a
of distance and direction. Additionally,
coherent understanding of learning progression can help students forces are pushes and pulls that can
develop a coherent understanding of be described in terms of strength and
science. “Building progressively forces, motion, and energy. direction. Understanding of these phe-
more sophisticated explanations nomena helps students meet the per-

Educational Viewpoints -76- Spring 2019