Forces, Friction and Magnets: a full term of science
Ten ready-to-teach lessons for Year 4 Physical sciences. Print this pack and the term is prepared: every lesson comes with a step-by-step plan, the questions to ask, a student worksheet, cut-out cards or exit tickets, an assessment kit and every answer.
Start here: five minutes to Monday
- Skim the term at a glance on the next page.
- Print the lesson you need. Each lesson is three A4 sheets: plan, worksheet, cards or tickets.
- Gather the few everyday items under “You need” on the plan. Apart from bar magnets, nothing needs a science cupboard.
- Open the free interactive unit on your board or projector. Every plan tells you which picture to show and when.
- Teach straight from the plan. Timings, talk prompts, misconceptions and answers are all on the one page.
No science background needed
This pack is written for the busy generalist teacher. Each plan explains the science idea in plain words, lists the misconceptions children bring, and gives model answers. The big idea of the term: a force is a push or a pull from one object on another, and forces change how things move. Friction slows things when surfaces rub, gravity pulls everything towards the Earth, and magnets pull on iron, steel and other magnets without touching.
Two ways to run each lesson
Every lesson works as one 60-minute block, or as two 30-minute sessions. The split point is marked in every plan. Set up the ramps and surfaces for Lessons 3 and 4 before the class arrives.
Safety and care in one look
Drop tests and parachutes go from standing height, never from a chair or a table. Plastic bags are cut open into flat sheets first. Magnets stay away from phones, laptops and bank cards, and small magnets never go near a mouth.
The term at a glance
One lesson a week for a term. Each lesson stands on the ones before it, so run them in order where you can.
| # | Lesson | Children learn and do | You need (in short) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pushes and pulls are forces | Find pushes and pulls, and name the object that gives each force and the object that feels it | Force cards, a chair, a ball |
| 2 | Forces change motion | Use forces to start, stop, speed up, slow down, turn and squash | A ball, a book, play dough |
| 3 | Friction slows things down | A fair test: how far a toy car rolls on three surfaces | A ramp, a toy car, a tape measure |
| 4 | Friction can help | Measure the pull needed to slide a shoe on different surfaces | A shoe, a rubber band, a ruler |
| 5 | Gravity pulls everything down | Drop pairs of objects and race them to the floor | Two balls, two sheets of paper |
| 6 | Air pushes back on a fall | Build parachutes and time how slowly they fall | Plastic bags, string, a timer |
| 7 | Magnets attract and repel | Find the poles, and test which things a magnet attracts | Two bar magnets, test objects |
| 8 | Magnets act across a gap | Measure how close a paperclip must be before a magnet pulls it | Magnets, paperclips, a ruler |
| 9 | People use forces | Design a magnet sorter for a recycling centre | Paperclips, foil balls, a magnet |
| 10 | Show what we know | Make a labelled forces poster of a playground and sit the final check | Card, pencils, leftovers from the term |
How the sequence builds
Lessons 1 and 2 name forces as pushes and pulls and show what they do to motion. Lessons 3 and 4 measure friction, where it slows things and where it helps. Lessons 5 and 6 drop things to meet gravity and the air that pushes back on a fall. Lessons 7 and 8 test magnets, up close and across a gap. Lesson 9 uses magnet science to solve a real problem, and Lesson 10 is the making task and final check.
Curriculum links (Australian Curriculum V9)
The whole term teaches the Science Understanding descriptor AC9S4U03 quoted on the cover. The lessons also work these Science Inquiry and Human Endeavour descriptors:
Assessment in this pack
- Every plan ends with “Answers and look-fors”: what meeting the idea sounds like in a Year 4 voice.
- The assessment sheet near the front has a class observation checklist and a three-level rubric.
- Lesson 10 is the summative pair: a labelled forces poster with an explanation, plus the “Show what we know” check sheet.
Materials for the whole term
One gathering session covers all ten lessons. Most things on this page are everyday items; the bar magnets for Lessons 7 to 9 are the only science kit, and many schools already have a box of them.
| Lesson | You need |
|---|---|
| 1 | the force cards from this pack; a chair, a drawer, a door, a ball and a skipping rope to push and pull |
| 2 | for each group a ball, a large book, a ruler and a lump of play dough; the station cards from this pack |
| 3 | for each group a ramp (a board or a big book on a stack of books), a toy car, masking tape, a tape measure; three surfaces: a smooth floor, carpet and a towel |
| 4 | for each group a shoe, a strong rubber band, a paperclip, a ruler; a table top, a towel and a sheet of sandpaper or a doormat; the help-or-hinder cards from this pack |
| 5 | for each pair a tennis ball and an orange, two sheets of the same paper, a book; the drop cards from this pack |
| 6 | plastic shopping bags cut open into flat sheets, string, sticky tape, scissors, paperclips for the loads, a timer |
| 7 | for each group two bar magnets with N and S marked, and test objects: an iron nail, steel paperclips, a steel bottle cap, aluminium foil, copper wire, a plastic ruler, a glass marble, a rubber; the test cards from this pack |
| 8 | for each group two different magnets, paperclips, a ruler, and thin sheets to test: paper, card, plastic, foil |
| 9 | a mix of steel paperclips and small balls of scrunched foil, magnets, boxes, card, string and sticky tape; the force job cards from this pack |
| 10 | card or large paper, coloured pencils, leftovers from the term; the interactive unit open for the class quiz |
The one-trip list
- From the classroom: rulers, a tape measure, masking tape, sticky tape, scissors, string, a timer, play dough, books.
- From the toy box or home donations: toy cars, balls, a shoe for each group, plastic shopping bags, a towel, an orange.
- From the hardware shop: a sheet of sandpaper, iron nails and copper wire.
- From the science cupboard: bar magnets with the poles marked.
Safety and care in one look
- Drop tests and parachutes go from standing height only; nobody stands on a chair or a table.
- Cut plastic bags open into flat sheets before handing them out, and never put a bag over a head.
- Keep magnets away from phones, laptops, bank cards and screens.
- Small magnets are dangerous if swallowed: use bar magnets, and count them back in.
- Ramps and cars stay on the floor, and walkways stay clear.
Assessment without extra work
The term assesses itself. Every lesson plan ends with answers and look-fors, and Lesson 10 is the summative pair: the labelled forces poster with an explanation, and the check sheet. This sheet is the place to jot down what you notice along the way.
The three levels
| Idea | Working towards | At standard | Beyond |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forces | names a push or a pull | explains a force as a push or a pull from one object on another, and names both objects | draws force arrows that show the direction and the object that feels each force |
| Friction | says rough things are harder to slide | explains that friction slows moving things, and more on rough surfaces | gives a case where friction helps and one where it gets in the way, and a way to change each |
| Gravity | says things fall down | explains gravity as a pull from the Earth on every object, without touching | explains why a parachute falls slowly while gravity still pulls on it |
| Magnetism | says magnets stick to some things | explains that magnets attract iron and steel and that like poles repel, across a gap | measures how the pull changes with distance and explains a use |
Class observation checklist
| Name | Forces | Motion | Friction | Gravity | Magnets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A tick a lesson is plenty; the Lesson 10 check sheet fills the gaps.
Word wall cards
Cut out the cards and build the wall as the words arrive. Lesson 1 starts the wall with force, push and pull.
a push or a pull from one object on another
a force that moves something away
a force that moves something closer
the way something moves
a force that slows things when surfaces rub together
the pull of the Earth on every object
the push of the air against something moving through it
an object that attracts iron and steel
to pull towards
to push away
one end of a magnet: north or south
pulled by a magnet
Dear families
This term in science, Year 4 investigates forces: the pushes and pulls that make things start, stop, speed up, slow down and change direction. We measure friction, the force that slows things down when surfaces rub together; we drop things to see gravity pull everything towards the Earth; and we test magnets, which can pull and push without touching at all.
Your child will run fair tests with toy cars, shoes and parachutes, measure with rulers and tape measures, and use what they learn to design a magnet sorter like the ones used in recycling centres.
Try this at home
- Go on a push-and-pull hunt: opening the fridge, kicking a ball, zipping a jacket. Which are pushes? Which are pulls?
- Slide a few things down a tilted tray or board. Which slide easily? Which grip?
- Look at the fridge magnets. What do they stick to, and what do they not?
- Drop two things at the same time from the same height. Which lands first?
What to ask your scientist
- Is that a push or a pull? Which object is giving the force?
- When does friction help us, and when does it get in the way?
- Why does a parachute fall slowly?
- What does a magnet attract? Can it work through paper?
A small note on safety: at school we drop things only from standing height, and we keep small magnets well away from mouths and screens.
Warm regards,
The Year 4 team
Printed from the free seegongsik Forces, Friction and Magnets teaching pack · seegongsik.com/au/y4/physical/AC9S4U03/pack
Pushes and pulls are forces
A force is a push or a pull, and it always comes from one object acting on another. When you kick a ball, your foot gives the force and the ball feels it. A push moves something away from the giver; a pull moves it closer. Children hunt for pushes and pulls in the classroom, sort force cards, and name the object giving each force and the object feeling it.
We are learning to
- explain a force as a push or a pull,
- identify the object that gives a force and the object that feels it,
- show the direction of a force with an arrow.
Success criteria
- I can sort actions into pushes and pulls.
- I can name the object giving a force and the object feeling it.
You need
- the force cards (third sheet), one set per pair,
- a chair, a drawer, the classroom door, a ball and a skipping rope to push and pull,
- the worksheet (next sheet), one per child.
Lesson flow (about 60 minutes)
| 5 min | Wonder Slide a chair across the floor without saying a word. Ask: “What made the chair move? Could it have moved on its own?” |
| 10 min | On the board Push the box each way (see the box), asking first which way it will go. Ask: “Which object gives the force? Which object feels it?” |
| 15 min | Force hunt Pairs push and pull things around the room: the door, a drawer, a chair, the ball and the rope. For each one they fill a row of Part A. |
| 15 min | Card sort Pairs sort the twelve cards into pushes and pulls, acting each one out, then do Part B. |
| 15 min | Word wall and wonder Add force, push and pull to the word wall. Children do Part C. Ask: “Can a force act on something without touching it?” |
Running two half-sessions instead? End Session A after the force hunt; start Session B with the card sort.
Watch for these ideas
- “Only people and animals can give a force.” A bat pushes a ball, and a magnet pulls a nail.
- “A force is something an object has, like its strength.” A force happens between two objects, while they act on each other.
- “A still object has no forces on it.” A box on the floor is still pulled down by gravity and held up by the floor; later lessons look at this.
Make it easier, make it bigger
- Easier: sort six cards first (three clear pushes, three clear pulls), acting each one out.
- Bigger: find an action that is a push and a pull at once, such as a swing pushed away and pulled back, and explain it.
Answers and look-fors
- Pushes: kick a football, shut a door, squeeze a sponge, throw a ball, press a lift button, hit a ball with a bat. Pulls: open a drawer, drag a schoolbag, stretch a rubber band, win a tug of war, zip up a jacket, pick an apple from a tree.
- Giver and feeler: open a drawer, your hand on the drawer; kick a football, your foot on the ball; shut a door, your hand on the door; drag a schoolbag, your hand on the bag, and so on. Part B: an arrow from the hand side, pointing the way the drawer moves (towards the child).
- Part C answers vary; some children may already name magnets or gravity. Lessons 5 and 7 test both.
Pushes and pulls
A. Our force hunt
| What we did | Push or pull? | The object giving the force | The object feeling the force |
|---|---|---|---|
B. Draw it
Draw a hand pulling a drawer open. Add an arrow to show which way the force goes.
C. Think about it
Force cards
Cut out the cards. Act each one out, then sort the cards into pushes and pulls.
Who gives the force? Who feels it?
Who gives the force? Who feels it?
Who gives the force? Who feels it?
Who gives the force? Who feels it?
Who gives the force? Who feels it?
Who gives the force? Who feels it?
Who gives the force? Who feels it?
Who gives the force? Who feels it?
Who gives the force? Who feels it?
Who gives the force? Who feels it?
Who gives the force? Who feels it?
Who gives the force? Who feels it?
Teacher note: some cards start good arguments. Closing a door can be a pull if you close it from the other side; accept an answer the pair can act out and explain.
Forces change motion
Forces change the way things move. A force can make a still object start moving, make a moving object stop, speed up or slow down, or change its direction, and a force can change an object’s shape. Whenever motion changes, a force is at work. Children visit six stations with a ball and play dough, and record what each push or pull did.
We are learning to
- describe the ways a force can change motion: start, stop, speed up, slow down and turn,
- describe how a force can change the shape of an object,
- use the word force to explain what we observe.
Success criteria
- I can name four ways a force can change how something moves.
- I can say which force changed the motion at each station.
You need
- for each group: a ball, a large book, a towel and a lump of play dough,
- the station cards (third sheet), one per station,
- the worksheet (next sheet), one per child.
Lesson flow (about 60 minutes)
| 5 min | Recall Ask: “Last lesson we found pushes and pulls. What can a push do to a ball?” |
| 10 min | On the board Step through the story (see the box), asking before each press what will happen to the speed. Ask: “What made the ball slow down? What made it speed up?” |
| 25 min | Stations Groups spend about four minutes at each station, follow the card, and fill a row of Part A. |
| 10 min | Share Groups share one station each. Children do Part B. Ask: “At the towel station, nobody touched the ball. So what slowed it?” |
| 10 min | Word wall Add motion to the word wall. Children do Part C. |
Running two half-sessions instead? End Session A after three stations; start Session B with the other three.
Watch for these ideas
- “A moving ball stops because it runs out of push.” It stops because a force, friction, acts against it.
- “Forces only make things go.” Forces also stop, slow, turn and squash things.
- “Nothing pushed the ball back at the book.” The book pushed it: that push changed its direction.
Make it easier, make it bigger
- Easier: run the six stations as a class, one at a time, with children predicting first.
- Bigger: find one action that changes the motion two ways at once, such as a bat hit that stops a ball and sends it back.
Answers and look-fors
- Part A: station 1 starts it moving; station 2 stops it; station 3 speeds it up; station 4 slows it down (friction from the towel); station 5 changes its direction; station 6 changes its shape.
- Part B: friction from the towel, a force from the surface, slowed the ball; no hand touched it.
- Part C: a force can start, stop, speed up, slow down or turn a moving thing, or change its shape.
What did the force do?
A. At each station
| Station | The force (push or pull, and from what) | What it did: start, stop, speed up, slow down, turn or change shape |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||
| 2 | ||
| 3 | ||
| 4 | ||
| 5 | ||
| 6 |
B. The towel station
C. Think about it
Station cards
Cut out the cards and put one at each station. At each one, do what the card says, then write what the force did.
Put a ball on the floor. Give it a gentle push.
Roll the ball to your partner. Partner, stop it with one hand.
Roll the ball slowly. As it rolls, give it another push the same way.
Roll the ball across the floor and onto a towel.
Stand a big book on its edge. Roll the ball straight at it.
Squeeze a ball of play dough in your hand.
Teacher note: roll balls gently and keep stations well apart. The book station works best against a wall.
Friction slows things down
Friction is a force that acts when two surfaces rub against each other. It always acts against the way something is moving, so it slows the object down. A rough surface makes more friction than a smooth one. Children run a fair test: the same toy car let go from the same place on a ramp, rolling onto three surfaces, measuring how far it travels each time.
We are learning to
- explain that friction is a force that slows moving things,
- plan and run a fair test that changes only the surface,
- measure distances with a tape measure and repeat each run.
Success criteria
- I can name what we changed and what we kept the same.
- I can use our measurements to say which surface made the most friction.
You need
- for each group: a ramp (a board or a big book on a stack of books), a toy car, masking tape for a start line, a tape measure,
- three surfaces at the bottom of the ramp: a smooth floor, carpet and a towel laid flat,
- the fair-or-not cards (third sheet), one set per pair, and the worksheet (next sheet), one per child.
Lesson flow (about 60 minutes)
| 5 min | Recall Ask: “At the towel station the ball slowed down. Why might a towel slow it more than the floor?” |
| 5 min | On the board Compare the two surfaces (see the box). Ask: “Same push, different floor. Why does the block stop sooner?” |
| 10 min | Plan Pairs sort the fair-or-not cards, then children do Parts A and B. Groups set the ramp height and tape the start line. |
| 30 min | The ramp test For each surface, groups let the car go from the start line (no pushing) and measure from the bottom of the ramp to the back of the car. They do 3 runs on each surface and fill Part C. Ask: “Your three runs are not all the same. Which one would you report, and why?” |
| 10 min | What it tells us Children circle the middle run for each surface and do Part D. Add friction to the word wall. |
Running two half-sessions instead? End Session A after the plan; start Session B with the ramp test.
Watch for these ideas
- “The car slows down because it gets tired.” Friction from the surface is a force that slows it.
- “One run is enough.” Runs differ a little; three runs and the middle one give a fairer result.
- “Smooth surfaces have no friction.” They have less, not none: the car still stops in the end.
Make it easier, make it bigger
- Easier: test two surfaces only, the floor and the towel, measuring together as a class.
- Bigger: add a fourth surface, such as sandpaper or bubble wrap, and predict where it will fit before testing.
Answers and look-fors
- Cards: 1 fair (the same start); 2 not fair (the push changes as well as the surface); 3 not fair (the height changes as well as the surface); 4 fair (the same car); 5 fair (the same place to measure from); 6 not fair (the measuring changes).
- Part B: we change the surface; we keep the same car, ramp, height, start line, letting go without a push, and the same way of measuring.
- Part C and D: the car usually goes furthest on the smooth floor and least far on the towel, because the towel makes the most friction.
The ramp test
A. My prediction
B. A fair test
C. How far the car went (cm). Circle the middle run of the three.
| Surface | Run 1 | Run 2 | Run 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| smooth floor | |||
| carpet | |||
| towel |
D. What it tells us
Fair or not fair?
Cut out the cards. In our test only the surface should change. Sort the cards into fair and not fair.
Teacher note: for each not-fair card, ask the pair to say how to make it fair.
Friction can help
Friction is not only a nuisance. It lets shoes grip the ground, brakes stop a bike and tyres hold the road. Sometimes we want more friction and sometimes less. Children measure friction with a rubber band: they pull a shoe across three surfaces and measure how far the band stretches just as the shoe starts to slide. The more it stretches, the bigger the pull needed, and the more friction there is.
We are learning to
- measure friction by the pull needed to slide an object,
- compare the friction of different surfaces,
- explain when friction helps us and when it gets in the way.
Success criteria
- I can use the stretch of the band to say which surface had the most friction.
- I can give one example where friction helps and one where it gets in the way.
You need
- for each group: a shoe, a strong rubber band, a paperclip opened into a hook, a ruler,
- three surfaces: a table top, a towel, and a sheet of sandpaper or a doormat,
- the help-or-hinder cards (third sheet), one set per pair, and the worksheet (next sheet), one per child.
Lesson flow (about 60 minutes)
| 5 min | Wonder Ask: “What would happen if there was no friction at all when you tried to walk?” |
| 5 min | On the board Show the rough and the smooth surface again (see the box). Ask: “When would you want a rough surface? When a smooth one?” |
| 25 min | The shoe test Hook the paperclip into the back of the shoe and loop the band on it. Lay the ruler beside the band, pull the band slowly, and read its length just as the shoe starts to slide. Two runs on each surface; children fill Parts A and B. Ask: “Are you pulling the same slow way every time? Why does that matter?” |
| 15 min | Help or hinder? Pairs sort the eight cards into helps and gets in the way, and say how to change the friction on each. Children do Part C. |
| 10 min | Share Groups compare results. Children do Part D. |
Running two half-sessions instead? End Session A after the shoe test; start Session B with the cards.
Watch for these ideas
- “Friction is always bad.” Without friction we could not walk, hold a pencil or stop a bike.
- “Heavier shoes have the same friction.” A heavier shoe presses harder on the surface and usually needs a bigger pull.
- “The band measures the shoe.” It measures the pull: the longer the band, the bigger the pull.
Make it easier, make it bigger
- Easier: test two surfaces only, and mark the band’s stretch on a strip of paper instead of reading the ruler.
- Bigger: put a weight inside the shoe and test again. Predict first: will it need more pull?
Answers and look-fors
- Part B: the band usually stretches most on the sandpaper or doormat and least on the table top; the longest stretch means the most friction.
- Part C: helps, cards 1, 4, 5, 8; gets in the way, cards 2, 3, 6, 7.
- Ways to change it: 1 new brake pads grip better; 2 a drop of oil lowers the friction; 3 wheels or a trolley lower the friction; 4 a deep tread grips better; 5 rubbing faster makes more warmth; 6 cleaning and oiling the chain lowers the friction; 7 sitting on a smooth mat lowers the friction; 8 tyres with deep grooves grip better.
The shoe test
A. My prediction
B. How long the band was just as the shoe started to slide (cm)
| Surface | Run 1 | Run 2 |
|---|---|---|
| table top | ||
| towel | ||
| sandpaper or doormat |
C. Sort the cards. Write the card numbers.
| Friction helps | Friction gets in the way |
|---|---|
D. Think about it
Help or hinder?
Cut out the cards. Does friction help, or does it get in the way? Sort the cards, then say how you could change the friction on each.
Teacher note: warming your hands is friction helping; the same rubbing wears away the brake pads on a bike, which is why they need changing.
Gravity pulls everything down
Gravity is a pulling force from the Earth that acts on every object, without touching it. It is why things fall when we let go of them. Heavy and light things of the same shape fall together; what makes a flat sheet of paper fall slowly is the air pushing back on it, not weaker gravity. Children race pairs of objects to the floor and look for the pattern.
We are learning to
- explain gravity as a pull from the Earth that acts without touching,
- predict, test and record which of two objects lands first,
- tell apart the pull of gravity and the push of the air on a falling object.
Success criteria
- I can say why things fall when we let go of them.
- I can explain why a flat sheet of paper falls more slowly than a scrunched one.
You need
- for each pair: a tennis ball, an orange, two sheets of the same paper and a book,
- a clear space of floor for dropping,
- the drop cards (third sheet), one set per pair, and the worksheet (next sheet), one per child.
Lesson flow (about 60 minutes)
| 5 min | Wonder Hold up a ball and let it go. Ask: “Nothing touched the ball. So what pulled it down?” |
| 10 min | On the board Switch gravity on and off (see the box). Ask: “Gravity pulls the ball. Does it pull you, the desk and the paper too?” |
| 25 min | Drop races For each drop card, pairs predict first (Part A), then one partner drops both objects together from the same height while the other watches the floor. Three drops each; children record in Part A. Ask: “How will you make sure both objects are let go at exactly the same moment?” |
| 10 min | Look for the pattern Share results across the class. Children do Part B. |
| 10 min | On the Moon Tell the class: an astronaut on the Moon, where there is no air, dropped a hammer and a feather together, and they landed at the same time. Add gravity and air resistance to the word wall; children do Part C. |
Running two half-sessions instead? End Session A after the first two drop cards; start Session B with the last two.
Watch for these ideas
- “Heavy things fall faster.” Two balls of the same size land together, even when one is much heavier.
- “The flat paper is pulled less.” Gravity pulls both sheets the same; the air pushes back more on the flat one.
- “Gravity needs air to work.” Gravity works on the Moon, where there is no air at all: the hammer and the feather still fell.
Make it easier, make it bigger
- Easier: run the first two cards as a class, with the whole class watching the floor.
- Bigger: fold a sheet of paper into a fan, a tube and a dart, and race them. Which shape lets the air push back most?
Answers and look-fors
- Part A, the usual results: 1 they land at about the same time; 2 the scrunched ball lands first; the flat sheet floats down slowly; 3 the book lands first; the paper floats down after it; 4 they fall together, because the book keeps the air off the paper.
- Part B: gravity pulls every object down; shape matters more than weight, because the air pushes back on flat, wide things.
- Part C: on the Moon there is no air to push back, so only gravity acts, and the hammer and the feather fall together.
Safety: drop from standing height only, never from a chair or a desk, and keep feet out of the landing spot.
Drop races
A. Predict, then drop each pair three times
| Card | I predict: which lands first, or together? | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||
| 2 | ||
| 3 | ||
| 4 |
B. The pattern
C. On the Moon
Drop cards
Cut out the cards. For each pair: predict, then drop both together from the same height. Watch the floor, not your hands.
About the same size, but the orange is much heavier.
The same paper, so the same weight; one is flat and one is a ball.
Hold them flat, one in each hand.
Lay the paper flat on the book, then drop the book.
Teacher note: hold both objects at the same height, side by side, and open both hands at once. A count of three helps.
Air pushes back on a fall
A falling object is pulled down by gravity, and the air it falls through pushes back up on it. This push is air resistance, a kind of friction. A parachute has a wide canopy that catches a lot of air, so it falls slowly while gravity still pulls on it. Children build two parachutes that differ only in canopy size and race them to the floor.
We are learning to
- explain that air resistance pushes back on a falling object,
- build two models that differ in one thing only,
- draw force arrows for gravity and air resistance.
Success criteria
- I can name the two forces on a falling parachute and the way each one acts.
- I can use our races to say how the canopy size changes the fall.
You need
- plastic shopping bags cut open into flat sheets (do this before the lesson), string, sticky tape, scissors and paperclips,
- a ruler for measuring the canopies,
- the build cards (third sheet), one per group, and the worksheet (next sheet), one per child.
Lesson flow (about 60 minutes)
| 5 min | Recall Drop a flat sheet and a scrunched sheet of paper again. Ask: “Gravity pulls both the same. What slowed the flat one?” |
| 5 min | On the board Gravity on (see the box). Ask: “The arrow shows gravity pulling down. What force pushes up on a falling parachute?” |
| 25 min | Build Groups follow the build cards to make one small and one big parachute. Children do Parts A and B while they wait for the tape. |
| 15 min | The races Groups race the two parachutes 3 times from standing height, arms up, and record which lands last in Part C. Ask: “Is it fair if one parachute is dropped higher? How will you check?” |
| 10 min | Draw the forces Children do Part D. Groups share which parachute landed last most often. |
Running two half-sessions instead? End Session A after building; start Session B with the races.
Watch for these ideas
- “A parachute turns gravity off.” Gravity still pulls it down; the air pushes up against it, so it falls slowly.
- “Air is nothing.” Air is real stuff: you can feel it push on your hand out of a car window.
- “The big one landed last, so it is lighter.” Both carry the same paperclip; the big canopy catches more air.
Make it easier, make it bigger
- Easier: the teacher builds the two parachutes and the class runs the races.
- Bigger: keep the canopy the same and change the load, one paperclip against three. Predict first.
Answers and look-fors
- Part B: we change the canopy size; we keep the same strings, load, drop height and way of letting go.
- Part C: the big parachute usually lands last in most races, because its wide canopy catches more air, so the air pushes back harder.
- Part D: an arrow pointing down labelled gravity, and an arrow pointing up from the canopy labelled air resistance.
Safety: cut the bags open into flat sheets before the lesson, and never put a bag over a head. Drop from standing height only.
The parachute race
A. My prediction
B. A fair test
C. Our races
| Race | Which landed last: small or big? |
|---|---|
| 1 | |
| 2 | |
| 3 |
D. Draw the forces
Draw a parachute falling. Add an arrow for gravity and an arrow for air resistance, and label them.
Build two parachutes
Cut out the cards and follow them in order. Build a small parachute and a big one.
Cut a square from the flat plastic sheet: 20 cm a side for the small one, 40 cm for the big one.
Put a small piece of sticky tape on each corner, so the plastic does not tear.
Cut four strings the same length, about 30 cm. Tape one to each corner.
Tie the four loose ends together and hang one paperclip from the knot.
Both parachutes need the same strings and the same paperclip. Only the canopy size is different.
Hold both by the middle of the canopy, at the same height, and let go together.
Teacher note: tangled strings are the most common problem; tape the strings at the corners before tying the knot.
Magnets attract and repel
A magnet attracts things made of iron or steel, and it can push or pull another magnet. Each magnet has two poles, north and south: unlike poles attract and like poles repel. Not all metals are magnetic: aluminium and copper are not. Children find out what happens when poles meet, then predict and test which objects a magnet attracts.
We are learning to
- describe how magnets attract and repel each other,
- predict and test which materials a magnet attracts,
- explain that only some metals are magnetic.
Success criteria
- I can say what happens when two poles meet: north and south, or two the same.
- I can name two magnetic and two non-magnetic objects, and say that not all metals are magnetic.
You need
- for each group: two bar magnets with N and S marked,
- the test objects: aluminium foil, an iron nail, copper wire, a plastic ruler, a steel paperclip, a steel bottle cap, a glass marble, a rubber,
- the test cards (third sheet), one set per group, and the worksheet (next sheet), one per child.
Lesson flow (about 60 minutes)
| 5 min | Wonder Hold a magnet near a paperclip so that it jumps across the gap. Ask: “Nothing touched the paperclip. What moved it?” |
| 10 min | On the board Attract, then repel (see the box). Ask: “Why do these two magnets push apart? Which ends are facing?” |
| 15 min | Poles Groups bring the ends of two bar magnets together slowly, every way round, and fill Part A. |
| 20 min | The magnet test Groups sort the test cards into will attract and will not, then test each object and turn over the ones they got wrong. Children do Part B. Ask: “The foil is a metal. Did the magnet attract it?” |
| 10 min | Word wall Add magnet, attract, repel, pole and magnetic. Children do Part C. |
Running two half-sessions instead? End Session A after the poles; start Session B with the magnet test.
Watch for these ideas
- “Magnets attract all metals.” They attract iron and steel; aluminium foil and copper wire are metals, but they are not magnetic.
- “The north pole is the strong end.” Both poles pull iron equally well; they differ only in how they act on another magnet.
- “Magnets are sticky.” A magnet pulls on iron across a gap, before they even touch.
Make it easier, make it bigger
- Easier: test four objects as a class, two that are magnetic and two that are not.
- Bigger: find a magnet whose poles are not marked, and use a marked magnet to work out which end is north.
Answers and look-fors
- Part A: north and south, attract; north and north, repel; south and south, repel.
- Part B: attracted, an iron nail, a steel paperclip, a steel bottle cap; not attracted, aluminium foil, copper wire, a plastic ruler, a glass marble, a rubber.
- Part C: no. The aluminium foil and the copper wire are metals, but the magnet did not attract them; it attracted only the iron and the steel things.
Safety: keep magnets away from phones, laptops and bank cards, and count the magnets back in at the end.
Testing magnets
A. When two poles meet
| The ends facing each other | Attract or repel? |
|---|---|
| north and south | |
| north and north | |
| south and south |
B. Will the magnet attract it?
| Object | My prediction (yes or no) | Test result (yes or no) |
|---|---|---|
| aluminium foil | ||
| an iron nail | ||
| copper wire | ||
| a plastic ruler | ||
| a steel paperclip | ||
| a steel bottle cap | ||
| a glass marble | ||
| a rubber |
C. Think about it
Magnet test cards
Cut out the cards. Sort them into will attract and will not attract. Then test each object and move any card that was wrong.
Made of a metal: aluminium
Made of a metal: iron
Made of a metal: copper
Made of plastic
Made of a metal: steel
Made of a metal: steel
Made of glass
Made of rubber
Teacher note: use the objects named here and leave out spoons and coins. Some steel spoons are not attracted by a magnet at all, which muddies the result.
Magnets act across a gap
A magnet’s force reaches across a gap: it is strongest close up and gets weaker further away. Some magnets are stronger than others, and the force passes through materials that are not magnetic, such as paper, plastic and even aluminium foil. Children measure how close a paperclip must be before each of two magnets pulls it, then test whether the pull works through thin sheets.
We are learning to
- explain that a magnet’s pull gets weaker as the gap grows,
- measure a distance with a ruler and repeat the test,
- test whether a magnet’s force passes through different materials.
Success criteria
- I can use our measurements to say which magnet was stronger.
- I can say which materials the magnet’s pull went through.
You need
- for each group: two different magnets (labelled A and B), paperclips and a 30 cm ruler,
- thin sheets to test: paper, card, plastic, aluminium foil,
- the worksheet (next sheet), one per child, and the exit tickets (third sheet).
Lesson flow (about 60 minutes)
| 5 min | Recall Ask: “Last lesson a paperclip jumped to the magnet. How far away could it be and still jump?” |
| 5 min | On the board Near, then far (see the box). Ask: “What happens to the pull as the gap gets bigger?” |
| 25 min | The jump test Lay the paperclip at the 15 cm mark. Put the magnet at 0 and slide it slowly along the ruler towards the clip. Stop the moment the clip moves, and read the gap between them. 3 runs with each magnet; children do Parts A and B. Ask: “Why must you slide the magnet slowly, the same way each time?” |
| 15 min | Through things Hold each sheet between the magnet and a paperclip lying on the table, then move the magnet close. Does the clip still move? Children fill Part C. |
| 10 min | What it tells us Children do Part D, then fill an exit ticket. |
Running two half-sessions instead? End Session A after the jump test; start Session B with the through-things test.
Watch for these ideas
- “A bigger magnet is always stronger.” Size does not decide it; our measurements do.
- “Magnets cannot work through things.” Their pull goes through paper, plastic and foil: none of them is magnetic.
- “The force suddenly appears when the clip moves.” The pull is there all the time; the clip moves once the pull is bigger than the friction holding it.
Make it easier, make it bigger
- Easier: test one magnet, with the teacher reading the ruler.
- Bigger: stack sheets of paper between the magnet and the clip, one at a time. How many sheets before the pull no longer lifts the clip?
Answers and look-fors
- Parts A and B: the magnet with the bigger jump distance is the stronger one; three runs differ a little, so we compare the middle runs.
- Part C: the clip still moves through the paper, the card, the plastic and the aluminium foil, though a thick sheet makes the gap bigger and the pull weaker.
- Part D: the pull gets weaker as the gap grows. Exit ticket: 1 stronger, close up; 2 any of paper, card, plastic, foil; 3 an arrow towards the magnet, longer when closer.
Safety: keep magnets away from phones, laptops and bank cards, and count the magnets and paperclips back in.
How far does the pull reach?
A. My prediction
B. The jump test: the gap when the clip first moved (cm)
| Magnet | Run 1 | Run 2 | Run 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magnet A | |||
| Magnet B |
C. Through things: does the clip still move?
| Sheet between | I predict (yes or no) | Result (yes or no) |
|---|---|---|
| paper | ||
| card | ||
| plastic | ||
| aluminium foil |
D. What it tells us
Exit tickets
Print one sheet for every four children and cut along the dashed lines. Each child answers a ticket alone before leaving.
1. Circle one. A magnet’s pull is ( stronger / weaker ) close up.
2. One material the pull went through: ______________
3. Draw a magnet and a paperclip with an arrow for the pull.
1. Circle one. A magnet’s pull is ( stronger / weaker ) close up.
2. One material the pull went through: ______________
3. Draw a magnet and a paperclip with an arrow for the pull.
1. Circle one. A magnet’s pull is ( stronger / weaker ) close up.
2. One material the pull went through: ______________
3. Draw a magnet and a paperclip with an arrow for the pull.
1. Circle one. A magnet’s pull is ( stronger / weaker ) close up.
2. One material the pull went through: ______________
3. Draw a magnet and a paperclip with an arrow for the pull.
Teacher note: 1 is stronger. Sort the tickets by item 3: does the arrow point towards the magnet?
People use forces
People use what they know about forces to solve problems. A recycling centre uses a strong magnet to pull steel cans out of a mixed load, leaving aluminium cans behind; a bike mechanic relies on friction in the brakes; a playground designer plans with gravity and friction. Children read force job cards, then design, test and improve their own magnet sorter for a mix of steel paperclips and foil balls.
We are learning to
- describe how people use forces in their work,
- design a sorter that uses a magnet to solve a problem,
- test our design, count the result and improve it.
Success criteria
- I can say which force one job depends on, and how.
- I can explain how our sorter uses magnetism, and how we made it better.
You need
- for each group: a mix of 10 steel paperclips and 10 small balls of scrunched aluminium foil, a magnet, two boxes or trays,
- card, string, sticky tape and a ruler for building,
- the force job cards (third sheet), one set per group, and the worksheet (next sheet), one per child.
Lesson flow (about 60 minutes)
| 5 min | The problem Show a tray of mixed paperclips and foil balls. Ask: “A recycling centre gets cans like this, all mixed. How could a magnet help?” |
| 5 min | On the board Attract iron (see the box). Ask: “Which of our two kinds of scrap will the magnet pull?” |
| 15 min | Job cards Groups read the six cards and name the force each job depends on. Children choose two for Part A. |
| 25 min | Design, test, improve Groups draw a plan (Part B), build the sorter, and run the mix through it. They count the paperclips left with the foil after each trial, change one thing, and try again: 3 trials in all (Part C). Ask: “What one change could leave fewer paperclips behind?” |
| 10 min | Share Groups show their best design and its result. Children do Part D. |
Running two half-sessions instead? End Session A after the job cards and the plan; start Session B by building and testing.
Watch for these ideas
- “The magnet will pick up all the metal.” It pulls the steel paperclips and leaves the aluminium foil.
- “A design works or fails.” Engineers count how well it works, change one thing and test again.
- “Forces are only for science lessons.” Every job on the cards depends on a force.
Make it easier, make it bigger
- Easier: sort by hand-held magnet first, then build a simple ramp that the mix slides down past the magnet.
- Bigger: add a third material, such as plastic beads, and design a sorter that keeps all three apart.
Answers and look-fors
- Part A: Bike mechanic: friction; Crane driver at a scrapyard: magnetism; Playground designer: gravity and friction; Recycling centre worker: magnetism; Shoe designer: friction; Skydiving instructor: gravity and air resistance.
- Part C: results vary; a working sorter leaves few or no paperclips with the foil, and the count goes down as the design improves.
- Part D: the magnet attracts the steel paperclips and pulls them out of the mix; it does not attract aluminium, so the foil is left behind.
Safety: count the magnets and paperclips back in at the end, and keep magnets away from phones and screens.
Our magnet sorter
A. Two force jobs
| Job | The force it depends on, and how |
|---|---|
B. Our plan
Draw your sorter. Label the magnet, and where the steel and the foil end up.
C. Test and improve
| Trial | What we changed | Paperclips left with the foil |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | first design | |
| 2 | ||
| 3 |
D. How it works
Force job cards
Cut out the cards. For each job, decide which force it depends on: friction, gravity, air resistance or magnetism.
Fits new brake pads, so that they rub on the wheel and stop the bike quickly.
Swings a giant magnet over a pile of scrap and lifts the iron and steel out of it.
Chooses a smooth slide so children slide down quickly, and soft ground under the swings for safe landings.
Runs a belt of mixed cans under a strong magnet, which pulls out the steel cans and leaves the aluminium ones.
Gives sports shoes a rubber sole with a deep tread, so they grip the court and do not slip.
Checks that every parachute opens wide, so the air pushes back hard and the skydiver lands gently.
Teacher note: some jobs depend on more than one force (the playground designer uses gravity and friction); accept any force the child can explain from the card.
Show what we know
The summative lesson, run as a celebration. Children make a labelled poster of a playground, marking at least five forces with arrows and explaining what each one does to the motion. They gallery-walk each other’s posters, sit the final check alone, and close with the on-screen quiz as a class game.
We are learning to
- show forces with labelled arrows: pushes, pulls, friction, gravity and magnetism,
- explain how each force changes the motion of an object,
- show what we know on our own on the final check.
Success criteria
- My poster shows five forces, each with an arrow pointing the way it acts and a label.
- I can show on the final check what friction, gravity and magnets do.
You need
- card or large paper, coloured pencils and leftovers from the term,
- the poster-plan worksheet (next sheet) and the final check (third sheet), one each per child,
- the interactive unit open for the closing quiz.
Lesson flow (about 60 minutes)
| 10 min | Brief and plan Set the task: a playground poster with at least five labelled force arrows, one of each kind on the worksheet. Children plan on the worksheet. Ask: “Where in a playground is there friction? Where is gravity at work?” |
| 20 min | Making time Children draw their posters. Circulate and ask each child to explain one arrow: what gives the force, what feels it, and what it does to the motion. |
| 10 min | Gallery walk Half the class stands by their posters while the other half visits, then swap. Visitors find one arrow of each kind. Ask: “Which arrow on this poster changes the motion the most?” |
| 10 min | Final check Hand out the final check. Children work alone. Read each item aloud once; help with reading, not with answers. |
| 10 min | The class quiz Run the unit quiz on the board as a whole-class game (see the box). Ask: “One last time: name a force that acts without touching.” |
Running two half-sessions instead? End Session A after making time and keep the posters safe. Start Session B with the gallery walk, then the final check and the class quiz.
Watch for these ideas
- Arrows with no direction. Ask: which way does this force push or pull? Then step back.
- Gravity drawn pointing up a slide. Ask: which way does a child go when they let go at the top?
- “Magnets attract all metal” creeping back. Ask: what did the foil do in our test?
Make it easier, make it bigger
- Easier: give a ready outline of a slide, a swing and a ball; the child adds the arrows and the labels.
- Bigger: show two forces on one object, such as gravity and friction on a child sliding, and say which is winning.
Answers and look-fors
- Final check marking guide: 1 opening a drawer. 2 friction. 4 a steel paperclip. 3 gravity pulls it towards the Earth. 5 they repel, pushing apart. 6 any fair pair, such as friction helps shoes grip, and it gets in the way of dragging a heavy box. 7 the big one, because its wide canopy catches more air, so the air pushes back harder. 8 gravity or magnetism.
- A score of 6 or more out of 8, plus a poster whose five arrows point the right way and are labelled, meets the descriptor. The rubric near the front of the pack turns this into a level.
- Meeting the idea at the gallery sounds like “friction from the slide slows her down, but gravity is pulling her down the slope”.
My forces poster
A. Tick each force as you add its arrow.
B. Draw your plan.
C. Explain one arrow.
Show what we know
Show what you know about forces. Read each one, then circle or write. Take your time.
Teacher note: read the items aloud one at a time. The marking guide is on this lesson’s plan; the rubric near the front of the pack turns the score into a level.