Ms. Luciano’s 3rd-grade classroom recently transformed into a temporary science lab as students learned about balanced and unbalanced forces. The lesson began with a video of students playing a game of tug-of-war, while observing the rope on each side. Students noted that strong forces caused the rope to move back and forth; when the rope stayed still, it was at rest; and equal strength on both sides resulted in the rope remaining motionless—a perfect demonstration of balanced forces.

Science teacher Ms. Gitman explained the concepts of balanced and unbalanced forces through hands-on experiments. Using simple materials—paper, a block, and two rubber bands—students were placed in small groups to conduct six trials to examine the power of force.

Each group carefully documented their findings on a data sheet. Afterward, the entire class came together to analyze and review their results.
Through their experiments, the students discovered that when the rubber bands were positioned at the same letter ("A") on each side of the paper, the forces were balanced, keeping the paper still. They also noted that when the rubber bands were stretched to different letters on opposite sides, the forces became unbalanced, causing the paper to move.

These experiments reinforced the students’ understanding of balanced and unbalanced forces while using their skills in observation, collaboration, and critical thinking.