Everyday Forces Spotting

Overview

In this second lesson of the unit, students practise noticing and naming push and pull forces in their everyday classroom environment. They observe examples, describe what they see, and begin linking forces to changes in motion.

Learning intentions

WALT observe and describe examples of push and pull forces around us.

• Students will identify situations where one object applies a force to another (push or pull).
• Students will describe how friction, gravity, or magnetism may affect motion in simple, everyday examples (without needing technical detail).
• Students will organise observations into a simple list of forces they find in the classroom.

Success criteria

• I can find and list three push forces in our classroom.
• I can find and list three pull forces in our classroom.
• I can describe what is being pushed or pulled and what the force is doing (e.g. starts/stops/slows/moves).
• I can use a simple representation (force description list) to show my observations.

Curriculum links

• AC9S4U03: identify how forces can be exerted by one object on another and investigate effects of frictional, gravitational and magnetic forces on motion of objects.
• AC9S4I01: pose questions about observed patterns and make predictions based on observations (e.g. “What happens if we pull it instead of push it?”).
• AC9S4I04: construct and use representations, such as simple tables or visual/physical models, to organise data and identify patterns (e.g. “push vs pull” chart).

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Settle and recall. Teacher asks quick recall questions from Lesson 1: “What is a force?” “How can we make objects move?” Students respond using one sentence or gesture.

2. 5–12 min · Teacher demo: push vs pull. Teacher demonstrates two short actions with clear objects (e.g. pushing a toy car and pulling a string attached to a small cart) while students watch closely for changes in motion. Students describe what changed and whether the action was a push or pull.

3. 12–22 min · Guided observation hunt. Teacher explains the classroom “Forces Hunt” and shows two example prompts:

• “I noticed a push when…”
• “I noticed a pull when…” Students, in pairs, move around safely and record candidates on a class recording sheet or individual mini-cards.

Suggested classroom examples (choose what fits your room):

• Push: door pushed open; book pressed across desk; chair pushed; skateboard/toy pushed; wheeled bin pushed.
• Pull: drawer pulled; elastic band tugged; string pulled; magnet pulling paperclips; rope pulled to bring something closer.

4. 22–32 min · Pair discussion and sorting. Teacher circulates with sentence starters and checks that pairs are describing “what is pushing/pulling” and “what is moving (or resisting)”. Students sort their findings into two categories: Push forces and Pull forces, aiming for at least three in each by the end of the sorting stage. They then share one example with the teacher.

5. 32–40 min · Simple representation: classroom force list. Teacher models a quick table or list with two columns (Push / Pull). Students copy their final six forces (three push, three pull) and add one short description for each (e.g. “Door pushed to make it open.”).

6. 40–45 min · Exit check. Teacher asks: “Point to one push you noticed and tell what it did.” Students answer verbally or on an exit slip: one push example and one pull example.

Resources

• Recording sheet or mini-cards with “Push” and “Pull” headings
• Crayons/markers and clipboards/pencils
• One toy cart (or small trolley), string, and a lightweight object to pull
• Magnet (with paperclips) if available
• Demonstration objects: toy car, door handle example, drawer example
• Sentence starter strips for discussion (e.g. “I noticed a push when…”)
• Safety reminder poster (walk, gentle hands, don’t pull others)

Assessment

• Teacher observation during the forces hunt: are students correctly labelling push vs pull and identifying the interacting objects?
• Check the pair sorting: students’ examples should match a force action (not just an object name).
• Exit ticket: students provide one push and one pull with a brief “what it did”.

Differentiation

• EALD support: provide sentence starters, word banks (push, pull, move, stop, open, close, closer, away), and allow oral recording first (teacher scribes, then student traces/copies).
• Support for students needing structure: give a “must include” list of two or three likely classroom targets (e.g. door, drawer, magnet) so they can focus on describing correctly.
• Extension: challenge students to add a second description sentence: “The force made the object move faster/slower/stop” or “It was harder to move when the surface was rough.”
• Pairing: mix students strategically so each pair has one confident speaker and one strong describer; rotate roles (finder/recorder).

Extension (optional)

• N/A for this lesson.