Laws of Motion

Lesson Overview

Year Level: Year 9
Curriculum Area: Science – Physical World Strand
Curriculum Level: Level 4/5 (The New Zealand Curriculum)
Lesson Duration: 50 minutes
Big Idea: Understanding and applying Newton’s Laws of Motion to real-world situations.
Key Competencies: Thinking, Participating and Contributing, Using Language, Symbols, and Texts

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Lesson Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will:

1. Demonstrate prior knowledge of forces and motion.
2. Understand and describe Newton’s Three Laws of Motion.
3. Conduct an experiment to explore Newton’s Laws in a practical setting.
4. Collaborate and communicate their findings with peers.

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Lesson Sequence

1. Introduction & Prior Knowledge Check (10 minutes)

Activity: Brainstorm & Quick-Think Questions

• Write the following questions on the board and have students answer individually for 3 minutes:

  • What causes objects to move?
  • What happens when you push or pull an object?
  • What do you think happens when you remove all forces acting on an object?
  • What are real-world examples of objects moving without being touched?

• After individual thinking, students share their answers in pairs for 2 minutes.

• The teacher will facilitate a 5-minute class discussion to address common misconceptions and introduce Newton’s Laws.

2. Teacher Presentation: Newton’s Laws of Motion (10 minutes)

Activity: Multimedia Presentation & Guided Discussion

• Visual Slides: A PowerPoint or Google Slide deck summarising each of Newton's Laws with real-world examples (e.g., seatbelts for first law, kicking a ball for second law, and rowing a boat for third law).
• Teacher Explanation:
  • First Law (Inertia): Objects remain at rest or in motion unless an external force acts on them.
  • Second Law (F=ma): Greater forces cause greater acceleration.
  • Third Law (Action-Reaction): Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.
• Engagement Tip: Ask students to think of examples for each law (e.g., skateboarding, cycling, jumping).

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3. Experiment: Exploring Newton’s Laws (15 minutes)

Activity: Ping Pong Ball & Cup Challenge (Group of 3 students per team)

Materials (Per Group):

• 1 plastic cup
• 1 small cardboard strip
• 1 ping pong ball

Instructions:

1. First Law: Place a ping pong ball on top of a small piece of cardboard, which is placed over a cup. Ask one student to quickly flick the cardboard away. Observe how the ball drops straight into the cup. (Inertia! The ball stays in place until gravity pulls it down.)
2. Second Law: Have one student push the ball gently on the table. Another student will push the ball with more force. Record how far the ball moves in each attempt. (More force → greater acceleration.)
3. Third Law: Have one student push their palms against another student’s palms. They will feel an equal and opposite push. (Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.)

Observations & Notes (5 minutes within the experiment)

Each group must write down their observations for each part of the experiment in their science notebooks.

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4. Discussion & Group Sharing (10 minutes)

Activity: Group Observations & Class Discussion

• Each group discusses their findings for 3 minutes, comparing their observations with their group members.
• A representative from each group shares one key observation with the whole class. Teacher facilitates a discussion, linking student observations back to Newton’s Laws.
• Conclude with a reflective question: How do Newton’s Laws help us understand everyday movement (e.g., in sports, driving, space travel)?

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Conclusion & Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

Final Reflection & Application

• Each student writes down one real-life example of Newton’s Laws they've experienced in their daily lives (e.g., dropping a phone, pushing a trolley, jumping out of a bus).
• Exit Question (to be collected as they leave the class): Which Newton’s Law do you find the most interesting and why?

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Assessment & Homework

Formative Assessment: Teacher observes participation in discussions and listens to student explanations during group sharing.
Homework (Optional Extension): Research and write about an athlete or sport and how Newton’s Laws apply to their movement.

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Teacher Notes & Adaptations

• Ensure there’s enough space for the ping pong ball experiment.
• If time allows, show a short slow-motion physics video illustrating Newton’s Laws in action.
• For advanced students, introduce real-world applications such as rocket launches, roller coasters, or air resistance.

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This structured lesson engages students through questioning, hands-on experimentation, peer discussion, and reflection – reinforcing Newton’s Laws in an exciting and real-world context. 🚀