Over six weeks, students investigate how pushes, pulls, gravity, energy, and stability affect motion so they can design an inclusive playground experience that is safe, fun, and accessible for children across grade levels. In weeks 1–2, they explore Newton’s Laws, forces, materials, and playground safety through hands-on testing; in weeks 3–4, they plan and build a scale playground model with moving parts; in weeks 5–6, they revise their designs through ongoing feedback, complete an assessment on forces and their model, and prepare for exhibition. Throughout the project, students reflect weekly on their learning, work together to solve a real design problem, and explain their reasoning to families, classmates, and community stakeholders.

In week 1, students will investigate pushes, pulls, gravity, friction, and Newton’s Laws through playground examples, and in week 2 they will study how balanced and unbalanced forces affect motion, stability, and safety. In weeks 3 and 4, they will apply scientific ideas and the engineering design process to plan, build, test, and revise a scale playground model with moving parts that is inclusive and responsive to weather, natural materials, and site conditions. In week 5, students will use ongoing feedback, weekly reflection, and assessment evidence on forces and their model to strengthen content knowledge, improve designs, and make shared decisions with peers. In week 6, they will communicate their learning clearly through sketches, discussions, and a final presentation of their playground model to families, peers, and community stakeholders.

In week 1, students will create investigation notes, simple force-and-motion test setups, and short weekly reflection entries as they explore pushes, pulls, gravity, and Newton’s Laws in playground equipment. In weeks 2 and 3, teams will produce labeled design sketches, accessibility and safety plans, and early prototypes, then use ongoing feedback to revise their ideas. In weeks 4 and 5, they will build and improve a scale playground model with moving parts that shows stability, motion, and inclusive design features, while adding test results, safety explanations, and notes about natural materials to a simple engineering portfolio. In week 6, teams will complete their final model, polish display materials, and present their work to families, peers, and community stakeholders at a public exhibition.

In week 1, begin with a playground investigation walk where students test swings, slides, seesaws, and climbers, noticing pushes, pulls, gravity, motion, stability, safety, and accessibility for different ages and abilities while recording questions and sketches. Back in class, introduce a design challenge from a principal, families, or parks staff asking teams to create an inclusive K–8 playground experience that is fun, safe, uses natural resources wisely, and can stand up to local weather hazards, then map the 6-week timeline: week 1 investigate and ask questions, week 2 learn forces and Newton’s Laws, week 3 plan designs, week 4 build scale models with moving parts, week 5 revise through ongoing feedback, and week 6 present to parents, stakeholders, and other students. In teams, students build and test a quick mini-prototype from classroom materials that shows one moving part, then share what worked, what felt unstable, and what they would revise based on peer critique. Close with a whole-group discussion of the essential questions and a first reflection entry about how engineers use forces, teamwork, and revision to solve real community problems.

In weeks 1-2, students study forces and inclusive playground features, then in weeks 3-4 they build and revise scale models using ongoing peer and teacher feedback. In week 5, teams prepare display boards, practice short presentations, and set up interactive test stations that show pushes, pulls, gravity, and moving parts in action. In week 6, host a “Playground Design Expo” for families, school staff, community stakeholders, and other students, where each group explains how Newton’s Laws shaped their design, how it supports safe and inclusive play, and how their model changed through critique and revision. End with a gallery walk, visitor feedback forms or voting, and brief student reflections on science learning, teamwork, and problem solving.