Moving, Stopping, Changing Direction

Overview

In this first lesson of Ō Ahupūngao: Forces and Motion, students explore how objects move, stop, speed up and change direction. They build on everyday observations of movement and begin using te reo Māori to describe what they notice, predict what will happen and explain how a force changes motion.

Learning intentions

• Explore and describe how objects move, stop, speed up and change direction.
• Use observations to make and test predictions.
• Use movement words including neke, tū, tere, pōturi, whakamua and whakamuri.
• Explain that a force can change the motion of an object.

Success criteria

• I can use words such as tere, pōturi, whakamua and whakamuri to describe movement.
• I can predict what an object will do before testing it.
• I can show how a force makes an object move, stop or change direction.
• I can describe what changed using “The ___ moved ___ because ___”.

Curriculum links

• Ō Ahupūngao: Forces and Motion: observing and describing movement, including moving, stopping, speeding up and changing direction.
• Te Marautanga o Aotearoa: learning through investigation, observation, prediction and explanation in a localised science context.
• Te Reo Pākehā: structuring spoken and recorded explanations appropriately for their purpose.
• Marau ā-Kura: connecting movement to familiar local places, such as a track, waka route or whenua pathway.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Local movement hook. Display an image or simple drawing of people travelling along a local track, waka route or whenua pathway using the local movement hook slide. Ask: “What is moving? What could make it stop, go faster or change direction?” Students silently notice, then share with a partner using neke, tū, tere or pōturi. Introduce the learning intention and success criteria.

2. 5–10 min · Model the ideas. Use a toy car and ball to demonstrate a gentle push, a stronger push, stopping with a hand and redirecting with a block. Return to the movement vocabulary and demonstration prompts. Explicitly model whakamua (forward) and whakamuri (backward), and say: “The car moved whakamua because I pushed it.” Students copy the gestures and rehearse the sentence frame with a partner.

3. 10–13 min · Investigation briefing. Arrange 25 students into five groups of five and explain the station routines and safety expectations. Distribute the movement investigation recording sheet to each student or pair. Students predict what will happen at each station before beginning, identifying whether the object will move tere, pōturi, whakamua, whakamuri, stop or change direction.

4. 13–33 min · Rotating investigation stations. Groups spend four minutes at each station, with one minute to rotate, referring to the station instructions and timer slides. At Station A, release a toy car down a cardboard ramp and compare a low and high ramp. At Station B, roll balls gently and strongly, then observe which travels faster or further. At Station C, use masking tape and cones to create a pathway, then redirect a rolling ball with a block. At Station D, stop a moving car or ball with a hand or block and describe the change. At Station E, choose one test, repeat it and check whether the prediction was accurate. Students take turns as predictor, equipment manager, tester, observer and recorder.

5. 33–39 min · Group sense-making. Bring groups together and show the results discussion prompts. Ask: “What made it move?” “What changed?” “Which force made it stop or change direction?” Groups share one observation using the frame: “The ___ moved ___ because ___.” Clarify that a push or a pull is a force and that forces can change motion. Avoid requiring students to measure speed formally; focus on observable comparisons such as faster, slower, further and shorter.

6. 39–45 min · Plenary and exit check. Students complete the final reflection on the prediction and explanation section: draw or describe one test showing a force changing motion. Invite two or three students to share. Revisit the success criteria using the plenary and self-assessment slide. Students show fingers from 1–3 to indicate how confidently they can describe movement, then hand in their recording sheets.

Resources

• the complete movement investigation slide deck
• the movement investigation recording sheet
• Toy cars
• Soft balls
• Cardboard ramps
• Blocks and cones
• Masking tape
• Open floor or table space
• Visual word cards for movement vocabulary
• Pencils and a timer

Assessment

• Listen for accurate use of tere, pōturi, whakamua, whakamuri, neke and tū during partner talk and station work.
• Observe whether students make a prediction, test it fairly and identify what changed.
• Use questioning throughout: “What made it move?” “What changed?” “How did the force affect the object?” Check the final drawing or explanation for a clear example of force changing motion.

Differentiation

• Provide picture-supported word cards, gestures and the sentence frame: “The ___ moved ___ because ___.” Accept spoken, drawn or dictated explanations.
• Pair students strategically and give clear group roles. Use soft balls, stable ramps and a reduced number of choices for learners needing sensory, physical or organisational support.
• Pre-teach the vocabulary through actions before the investigation; allow students to discuss ideas in their strongest language before sharing in te reo Māori or English.
• Extend learners by asking them to compare distance and speed, explain why a stronger push changes movement, or design a test that makes an object travel further or change direction twice.