🏆 Capstone Lesson — This final lesson brings together all concepts from the unit. Students apply everything they've learned.
🎢 🔴 🏁
Put all your push & pull knowledge together — build the ultimate marble run!
📋 NGSS Standard: K-PS2-1 — Plan and conduct an investigation to compare the effects of different strengths or different directions of pushes and pulls on the motion of an object K-PS2-2 — Analyze data to determine if a design solution works as intended
🎯 Learning Objective
Students will investigate marble Run Madness, make observations during the lesson activity, and explain what they learned using evidence from the lesson.
🎯 The Big Idea
This is it — the grand finale of Unit 1. Your kids have learned about pushes, pulls, forces, magnets, and wind. Now they'll apply everything they've learned by building a marble run — a track made of tubes and ramps where gravity pulls the marble down and the track pushes it along the path. They'll explore how the angle of a ramp changes the marble's speed, how curves affect direction, and how to solve problems when the marble gets stuck. It's hands-on physics at its finest.
🔬 The Science
When a marble sits at the top of a ramp, gravity pulls it downward. As it rolls, the ramp pushes back against it, guiding its path. The steeper the ramp, the faster the marble rolls. Curves in the track change the marble's direction. If the track is too flat, the marble slows down and stops. If it's too steep, the marble might jump off! Building a marble run teaches you how forces work together — gravity pulls down, the track pushes the marble along, and friction (rubbing) slows it down.
If it gets stuck: "Why did it stop? What can we change?" (Make the ramp steeper, tape the gap, remove a curve…)
If it goes too fast and flies off: "How can we slow it down?" (Make the ramp less steep, add a curve…)
Keep testing until it works.
Step 5 — Observation & Recording (5 min)
After a successful run, fill out the observation sheet (page 2):
Draw a picture of your marble run.
Answer: Where does gravity pull the marble? (Down!)
Answer: What pushes the marble along the track? (The ramp/tube sides.)
Time your marble run with a stopwatch (optional but fun).
Step 6 — Experiment: Change One Thing (5 min) "What happens if we change the marble run?"
Try one of these experiments:
Steeper ramp: Raise the starting point higher. Does the marble go faster?
Longer path: Add more tubes. Does it take longer to reach the cup?
Different marble: Use a bigger or smaller ball. Does it roll the same way?
Obstacle: Put a small toy in the path. Does the marble push it out of the way?
Record the result.
Step 7 — Share & Celebrate! (5 min)
Each child shows their marble run
Run the marble through one more time for the audience (parent, sibling, stuffed animals!)
Explain: "What was the hardest part to build? What are you most proud of?"
Celebrate: YOU FINISHED UNIT 1! 🎉
💬 Discussion Questions
🗣️ Talk about these together:
What force pulls the marble down the ramp? (Gravity.)
Is gravity a push or a pull? (Pull — it pulls everything toward the ground.)
What happens if the ramp is too flat? Too steep?
When the marble goes around a curve, what pushes it to stay on the track? (The tube walls.)
Where does the marble have the most speed — at the top or the bottom? Why?
If you built this marble run again, what would you change?
Can you think of real-life things that are like marble runs? (Water slides, roller coasters, ski slopes…)
🚀 Extensions
🎢 Multi-Level Run: Build a marble run with 3+ levels. How many tubes can you connect?
🏁 Race Track: Build TWO marble runs side-by-side. Siblings release marbles at the same time — which one finishes first?
💡 Glowing Marble Run: Tape glow sticks along the track and run marbles in the dark!
🎨 Decorate the Track: Use markers to turn tubes into tunnels, race lanes, or rainbow paths.
📚 Read Aloud:"Roller Coaster" by Marla Frazee or "The Roller Coaster Kid" by Mary Ann Rodman
🔬 Science Challenge: Can you make the marble STOP halfway down the run and then start again? (Use a flat section!)
👩🏫 Parent/Teacher Notes
This is a capstone: The goal is for kids to apply what they've learned about forces. Don't worry if the marble run isn't perfect — the process is the lesson.
Marble runs are hard: Tubes will fall. Marbles will fly off. Gravity will expose every misalignment. That's okay. Problem-solving is physics.
Start simple: If kids are overwhelmed, help them build a two-tube run first, then add complexity.
Sibling collaboration: This can be a solo or team project. If siblings work together, assign roles: one tapes, one tests, etc.
Safety reminder: Marbles are choking hazards for toddlers. Keep them away from younger siblings. Supervise closely.
Gravity is the star: Emphasize that gravity (Earth pulling on the marble) is what makes the whole thing work. Without gravity, the marble wouldn't roll down.
Tape everything: Tubes will shift. Use lots of tape. Painter's tape is repositionable and won't damage walls.
No "right" design: Every marble run is different. Celebrate creativity. If it gets the marble from top to bottom, it's a success.
Assessment: Can each child explain that gravity pulls the marble down and the track guides/pushes it? Can they identify one problem they solved (marble got stuck, flew off, etc.)? That's success.
Show where the marble starts, the path it takes, and where it ends!
Label: START, tubes/ramps, curves, FINISH (cup)
🔍 What I Observed
Question
My Answer
What force pulls the marble DOWN the ramp?
What pushes the marble along the track?
Did my marble make it to the cup on the first try? (Circle one: YES / NO)
If it got stuck, what did I change to fix it?
How long did my marble run take? (Use a stopwatch if you have one!)
🧪 My Experiment: I Changed...
What happened when I changed it?
🌟 What I Learned About Pushes & Pulls
✂️ PARENT ANSWER KEY — Detach before giving worksheet to students
📋 Expected Answers to Observation Questions
Question
Expected Answer
What force pulls the marble DOWN the ramp?
Gravity (accept "the Earth pulling it" or "it wants to go down")
What pushes the marble along the track?
The tube/ramp (the sides of the track guide it and push it along the path)
Did my marble make it to the cup on the first try?
Often NO! And that's fine — it's part of the engineering process.
If it got stuck, what did I change to fix it?
Made the ramp steeper, taped a gap, removed a curve, reconnected tubes, etc.
How long did my marble run take?
Variable! Usually 2–10 seconds depending on length and complexity.
💡 Teaching Points & Troubleshooting
Gravity is a PULL force: It pulls everything toward the center of the Earth. That's why the marble rolls DOWN, not up!
The track PUSHES and GUIDES: When the marble goes around a curve, the tube walls push it in a new direction. When it rolls down a straight ramp, the ramp pushes it forward.
Common problems & fixes:
Marble gets stuck → Ramp too flat. Raise the starting point or tilt the tube more.
Marble flies off at curves → Going too fast! Make the starting ramp less steep, or use a wider tube.
Gap between tubes → Tape them together securely. Even a small gap stops the marble.
Tube falls off wall → Use more tape! Painter's tape works great and doesn't damage walls.
Speed increases with height: The higher the starting point, the faster the marble goes (more gravitational potential energy converts to speed). If kids notice this, celebrate it!
Friction slows it down: If the tube is rough inside or the marble is small and rattles around, it loses speed. Smooth tubes work best.
🎓 Concepts Covered in This Capstone
Gravity as a force: Pulls objects downward
Push forces: Tube walls push/guide the marble along the path
Slope/angle: Steeper ramps = faster motion
Problem-solving: When something doesn't work, identify the problem and adjust
Engineering iteration: Test → Fix → Test again
Cause and effect: Changing one thing (height, angle, length) affects the outcome
✅ What Success Looks Like
Child can build a marble run with at least 2 connected sections
Child can identify gravity as the force pulling the marble down
Child can explain (in their own words) how the track pushes/guides the marble
Child attempts to solve at least one problem (stuck marble, misaligned tube, etc.)
Child completes the observation sheet with drawings and simple answers
🏆 Celebrating the Unit 1 Capstone
This lesson brings together everything from Unit 1:
✅ Lesson 1: Identifying pushes and pulls
✅ Lesson 2-3: Experimenting with force strength and direction
✅ Lesson 4: Invisible forces (gravity is another invisible pull!)
✅ Lesson 5: Engineering and iteration
✅ Lesson 6: Applying ALL concepts in a hands-on, creative project
Well done! Your kids have completed their first science unit. Celebrate with a "Marble Run Olympics" — who can build the longest? Fastest? Most creative? 🎉
