Push, Pull, Zoom

Curriculum Area and Level

Subject: Science
Level: Grade 5 (Year 5)
Jurisdiction: Canada – British Columbia Curriculum
Curriculum Area: Physical and Chemical Sciences
Big Idea: "Newton’s three laws of motion describe the relationship between force and motion."
Curricular Competencies:

• Demonstrate a sustained curiosity about a scientific topic or problem of personal interest
• Make observations in familiar or unfamiliar contexts
• Plan simple experiments to test predictions
• Make inferences based on patterns
• Communicate ideas, explanations, and processes in a variety of ways

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the 30-minute session, students will be able to:

• Understand that forces can act directly (through contact) or from a distance (non-contact)
• Describe how forces affect motion — causing objects to start moving, change speed, change direction, or stop
• Observe and record the effects of contact and non-contact forces through hands-on experimentation
• Use correct scientific vocabulary including force, friction, magnetism, gravity, direction, speed, and motion

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Materials Needed

Item	Quantity	Description
Mini skateboards or toy cars	4	For studying motion and pushing/pulling
Ramp or sloped boards	2	To test acceleration and direction change
Set of magnets	8 pairs	For showing non-contact magnetic force
Paper clips	16	For magnetic force demonstration
Stopwatches/timers	4	For measuring speed changes
Rulers or measuring tapes	4	To measure travel distances
Chart paper + markers	2 sets	For group data collection
Foam balls	4	Soft, throwable balls to highlight pushing force
Student science journals	1 per student	For observations and sketches

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Vocabulary

• Force – a push or a pull
• Contact Force – needs to touch the object to move it (e.g. push)
• Non-contact Force – acts through invisible fields (e.g. gravity, magnetism)
• Friction – a force that slows things down
• Motion – movement of an object
• Speed – how fast something moves
• Direction – the way something is moving

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Total Duration: 30 Minutes

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Lesson Breakdown

🔹 Introduction & Hook (5 minutes)

"The Invisible Hand!"

Start by holding a ball in your hand. Ask students:

"Can my hand move this ball?" (they'll say yes).
Then place the ball near a magnetised paper clip and move the magnet under the table. Ask:
"Can I move this clip without touching it?"
Watch their surprise as the object moves without visible contact.

Quick class share:

"What just happened? What made it move?"

Explain that there are different kinds of forces — some that need touch, some that can work from a distance. Today, we'll explore both.

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🔹 Mini Inquiry Stations (20 minutes total)

Set up 4 rotating activity stations – divide students into groups of 4.

Each station runs for 5 minutes, with 1 minute to rotate. Assign one team member per group to be timekeeper.

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Station 1: Push and Go

• Place a toy car on a flat surface.
• Students push it gently, then hard.
• Record how far it travels each time.
• Use a ruler to measure distance.

Key question:

How did the size of the push change how far or how fast the car went?

Scientific concept: Contact force — push affects speed and motion.

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Station 2: Magnetic Mystery

• Hold two magnets near paper clips.
• Try to "grab" the clip without touching it using magnetic force.
• Test if the magnet can repel or attract through different materials like paper.

Key question:

How did the object move without touching it?

Scientific concept: Non-contact force — magnets act at a distance.

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Station 3: Gravity Drop Zone

• Drop foam balls from different heights.
• Observe how fast they fall.
• Try rolling them down a ramp.

Key question:

What made the ball come down or speed up without pushing it?

Scientific concept: Gravity pulls objects down — invisible yet constant non-contact force.

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Station 4: Friction Frenzy

• Roll a toy vehicle on different surfaces (tile, carpet, sandpaper, a towel).
• Measure how far it travels.
• Students compare the distances.

Key question:

Which surfaces slow the car down the most and why?

Scientific concept: Friction slows or stops an object; it's a contact force.

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🔹 Wrap-Up & Reflection (5 minutes)

Return to a full-class discussion.

Ask:

• Which forces did we need to touch the object?
• Which forces worked from far away?
• What made things speed up, slow down, or stop?

Have students think-pair-share and write down one cool thing they learned in their journals. Encourage illustrations or diagrams.

Optional “Exit Ticket” activity: Have each student write or sketch on a sticky note:

"One force I saw today and what it did was..."
Stick on the “Fantastic Forces” board or a wall chart.

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Teacher Tips

• Keep the pace high-energy — move quickly between stations.
• Celebrate every discovery with "Force Facts!" shoutouts.
• For students who need extra help, provide prompt cards that say things like “Start? Stop? Change direction?” to guide thinking.
• Encourage precise language without over-complication.
• Integrate tallying and simple data collection to sneak in some cross-curricular Math links.

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Assessment

Formative Assessment Throughout:

• Observation of engagement and participation at each station
• Listening to active use of vocabulary during group talk
• Student journal entries and sticky notes demonstrate understanding

Checklist for each student: ✔ Identifies contact vs. non-contact forces
✔ Describes how a force changed motion (start, stop, speed, direction)
✔ Uses key scientific vocabulary correctly

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Extensions for Fast Finishers

• Sketch a force comic strip showing a "Super Force" changing direction of an object
• Create a hypothesis for how to make their car go further and test it again
• Use a string and magnet to create a magnetic “tractor beam” test

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Teacher Reflection (Post-Lesson)

Questions to consider:

• Which station engaged students the most?
• Were students able to differentiate between contact and non-contact forces?
• What misconceptions arose?
• Could this lesson be expanded into a full Forces unit — including Newton’s Laws?

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Closing Thought

Letting students see and feel the unseen — through rolling, dropping, attracting — packs a powerful "Aha!" moment into a 30-minute block. The world is in motion, and so is their understanding.

Let inquiry pull them in like gravity — strong, silent, invisible, and unstoppable.