Pushes Make Things Move

Overview

Students investigate familiar objects to identify whether a push or pull makes them move. They compare how toys move, including spinning toys, and use simple observations to describe the force and its direction. The lesson builds on students’ everyday experiences of moving objects at home, school and in their local place.

Learning intentions

• WALT identify pushes and pulls used to move familiar objects.
• WALT describe how a push or pull can start, stop or change an object’s movement.
• WALT investigate how toys move by spinning.
• WALT communicate observations using words, drawings and arrows.

Success criteria

• I can identify whether I used a push or a pull.
• I can show the direction of a push or pull with an arrow.
• I can describe how an object moved, stopped, changed direction or spun.
• I can record what I observed using a drawing or words.

Curriculum links

• Science — describe pushes and pulls by their strength and direction, and predict how forces affect objects’ motion and shape.
• Science — pose questions and make predictions about simple relationships between pushes, pulls and movement.
• Science — follow safe procedures to investigate a question and test a prediction.
• Science — sort observations and communicate findings using tables, drawings and everyday and scientific vocabulary.

Lesson structure (30 minutes)

1. 0–4 min · Hook and connect. Open with the hook and learning intention slides showing a door, toy car and spinning top, then ask, “What did someone do to make each object move?” Students share examples from the classroom, home or a familiar local place and act out a push and a pull.

2. 4–8 min · Teach the key ideas. Use the push, pull and movement slides to model that a push moves something away and a pull brings something closer; demonstrate a gentle and a stronger push, and use arrows to show direction. Students predict what will happen when a toy car is pushed gently, pushed harder, stopped with a hand or pushed from the side.

3. 8–18 min · Explore familiar objects. Set out a toy car, ball, container, soft block, door or drawer, and a spinning toy such as a top, wind-up toy or wheel. Revisit the investigation instruction slide and establish safety rules: use gentle forces, keep objects on the floor or table, take turns and stop when the teacher says. In pairs, students take turns moving each object by pushing or pulling, then describe what happened using the sentence frame, “I used a ___ to make the object ___.” The third student observes, then roles rotate.

4. 18–24 min · Investigate spinning. Show the spinning toy comparison slide and ask, “What push or pull helps this toy spin?” Students test the spinning toy, observe its direction and movement, and try a gentle and stronger force where safe. They compare it with the toy car: “Did it travel, spin, stop or change direction?” The teacher records student observations in a simple class table with columns for object, push or pull, and movement.

5. 24–28 min · Record and communicate. Distribute the familiar objects push-and-pull recording sheet. Students draw one object, circle or write push/pull, add an arrow showing the force direction and complete a sentence about the movement. Support students to include words such as move, stop, spin and direction. Invite students to represent a familiar object from their classroom, home or community that needs a push or pull.

6. 28–30 min · Share and check. Use the discussion and exit question slides to revisit the learning intention. Each student shows their worksheet and answers one question: “What was pushed or pulled, and what happened?” Correct misunderstandings by asking students to demonstrate the force with their hands.

Resources

• the push, pull and spinning investigation slide deck
• the familiar objects push-and-pull recording sheet
• Toy car, ball, soft block and small container
• Spinning top, wheel or other age-appropriate spinning toy
• Door, drawer or other safe classroom object
• Large paper or whiteboard for the class observation table
• Pencils, crayons and arrows or arrow stickers
• Clear floor or table space for testing objects

Assessment

• Observe whether each student correctly identifies a push or pull during object exploration and uses the vocabulary accurately.
• Ask students to predict and explain whether an object will travel, stop, change direction or spin; record brief notes against each student’s name.
• Review the worksheet and oral response for evidence that the student can identify the force, show its direction and describe the resulting movement.

Differentiation

• Provide repeated demonstrations, gesture cues and sentence starters: “I pushed the ___,” “I pulled the ___,” and “It moved by ___.” Use real objects before introducing the words.
• For students requiring additional support, offer two picture choices for push or pull, allow oral recording or drawing, and pair the student with a supportive peer while maintaining individual turns.
• Use high-contrast arrows and enlarged worksheet images for students with visual or fine-motor needs; provide thicker pencils, crayons or an adult scribe where appropriate.
• Support EAL learners with actions, photographs and home-language discussion where possible. Pre-teach move, stop, spin, push, pull and direction.
• Extend confident students by asking them to compare gentle and stronger pushes, predict which object will travel further, or explain how pushing from a different direction changes the movement.
• Acknowledge that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children have long used and shared games and toys involving movement and forces. Invite students to respectfully connect the investigation to games or objects used by their own families and communities without asking students to speak for a culture they do not belong to.