Exploring Movement Play

Overview

In this lesson (lesson 3 of 9), students use play to explore how pushes and pulls with different strength and direction can change an object’s motion. They observe, make simple predictions, and communicate what they notice using everyday and science words.

Learning intentions

WALT (We Are Learning To)…

• describe pushes and pulls by strength and direction
• observe how pushes and pulls can start, stop, or change motion
• compare what happened with what we thought would happen (our predictions)
• communicate observations using simple scientific vocabulary (push, pull, stronger, softer, stop, move)

Success criteria

I can…

• tell whether I used a push or a pull
• use words for strength and direction (e.g. hard/soft, left/right, towards/away)
• explain what happened to an object’s motion (e.g. it moved further, slowed, changed direction)
• say whether my prediction matched my observation

Curriculum links

• Science — AC9S1U03: describing pushes and pulls in terms of strength and direction; predicting effects on motion and shape
• Science — AC9S1I01: posing questions and making predictions based on experiences
• Science — AC9S1I05: comparing observations with predictions; discussing fairness
• Science — AC9S1I06: writing/creating texts to communicate observations using everyday and scientific vocabulary
• (Optional brief data representation) Science — AC9S1I04: using simple tables/images to represent patterns (before/after or results)

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook (movement demo). Teacher pushes a toy car gently and then hard along a taped “track,” stopping after each run. Students watch and quickly tell a partner: “What changed?”

2. 5–12 min · Direct teach (push vs pull + strength/direction). Teacher shows two motions with objects (a ball on the floor for a push, and a string on a toy for a pull). Teacher prompts: “Which way? Was it stronger or softer?” Students repeat the words and point to direction arrows on the floor track.

3. 12–27 min · Play investigation (stations). Teacher sets up 2–3 small stations on the floor (for a class of 3, students rotate only if helpful; otherwise they complete one station each).

• Each student chooses a toy (ball or toy car) and a “tool” (hand push, pull with string).
• They do three trials:

1. soft push/pull forward,
2. stronger push/pull forward,
3. soft push/pull but in a different direction (left or right) or towards/away from a marked wall. Teacher reminds students to use the same starting spot and stop line each trial. Students record by drawing one quick symbol for each trial (move a little / move more / stop / turn). Teacher circulates with questions: “What do you predict will happen if you push harder?” and “Did it start, stop, or change direction?”

4. 27–34 min · Share observations (whole class discussion). Teacher invites each student to report: one push/pull they tried, what happened, and whether they matched their prediction. Students use sentence starters:

• “I used a ___ (push/pull) that was ___ (soft/stronger) in the ___ (direction).”
• “My toy ___ (moved further/stopped/changed direction).”

5. 34–41 min · Quick compare & fairness (teacher-guided). Teacher asks: “Were our tests fair?” (Did everyone start from the same spot? Did we use the same track/stop line?). Students decide one change to make it fairer next time and explain simply.

6. 41–45 min · Exit ticket (draw + sentence). Students complete an individual mini “before/after” drawing:

• Draw the toy at the start.
• Add an arrow showing push or pull direction and label strength (soft/strong).
• Finish the sentence: “When I pushed/pulled ___, the toy ___.”

Resources

• taped floor track with start spot and stop line (masking tape)
• toy cars and/or balls
• string and lightweight toy (to enable pulling)
• two sets of direction cards/arrows (left/right/towards/away)
• trial recording sheet with 3 small boxes (draw/symbols + “soft/strong”)
• pencils, markers, clipboard (or worksheets on board)
• simple timer (optional) for quick turns
• classroom whiteboard for teacher model sentences

Assessment

• During stations: teacher checks correct use of “push/pull” and whether students can describe direction and strength
• During discussions: teacher listens for “start/stop/change direction” language linked to what students observed
• Exit ticket: teacher checks prediction/observation understanding through drawing, arrow direction, and one sentence

Differentiation

• Support:
• sentence starters and word bank (push, pull, soft, strong, left, right, stop, move further, turn)
• teacher models trial recording once, then provides gentle prompts during trials
• allow students to indicate direction by pointing or using a large arrow card if writing is difficult
• Targeted challenge:
• ask advanced students to make a prediction before each trial: “What will happen if you push harder this time?”
• ask them to compare trials: “Which trial moved the farthest and why?”
• For diverse learners:
• use clear visual cues (start spot, stop line, arrows) to reduce confusion
• keep turns short and predictable; provide clear roles (starter, measurer by pointing, reporter)
• accept non-verbal communication for early stages (pointing to outcomes, then adding a label)