Science · Year 1 · Push and Pull: Forces in Action · Term 2

Changing Direction of Movement with Forces

Students will investigate how pushes and pulls can change the direction of moving objects, observing straight, curved, and zigzag paths.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9S1U04

About This Topic

Gravity and Falling introduces students to the invisible force that pulls everything toward the center of the Earth. While the term 'gravity' might be new, Year 1 students are already familiar with its effects. Under AC9S1U04, they explore why objects fall down when dropped and how the air around us can slow some objects down (air resistance). This topic connects the concept of forces to the wider world and the planet itself.

In Australia, students can observe gravity in action through local nature, such as a gum nut falling from a tree or water flowing down a waterfall. They can also explore how different shapes, like a flat leaf versus a round seed, fall at different speeds. This topic is best taught through 'drop tests' and collaborative investigations where students compare how different objects respond to the constant pull of the Earth.

Key Questions

1. Analyze how hitting a ball changes its direction.
2. Differentiate between a straight path and a curved path of movement.
3. Design a game that requires changing the direction of an object.

Learning Objectives

• Identify how a push or pull changes an object's direction of movement.
• Compare the paths (straight, curved, zigzag) objects take when acted upon by different forces.
• Design a simple game that requires changing the direction of a moving object using pushes or pulls.
• Explain how hitting a ball changes its direction and speed.

Before You Start

Objects Move and Change Position

Why: Students need to understand that objects can move from one place to another before they can investigate how forces change that movement.

Identifying Actions (Push and Pull)

Why: Students should have prior experience identifying simple pushes and pulls in their environment to build upon for this topic.

Key Vocabulary

Force	A push or a pull that can make an object move, stop, or change direction.
Push	A force that moves something away from you.
Pull	A force that moves something toward you.
Direction	The path an object takes as it moves from one place to another.
Path	The line or route that something follows when it moves.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

Heavy things always fall faster than light things.

What to Teach Instead

Drop a heavy ball and a light ball (like a golf ball and a ping pong ball) at the same time. They hit the ground together! This surfaces the error that weight determines falling speed, showing instead that gravity pulls everything equally unless air gets in the way.

Common Misconception

There is no gravity on the moon or in space.

What to Teach Instead

Explain that gravity is everywhere, but it is weaker on the moon because the moon is smaller. Showing videos of astronauts 'hopping' helps students see that gravity is still there, just different, rather than being 'turned off'.

Active Learning Ideas

Inquiry Circle: The Great Drop

Students gather a variety of safe objects (a feather, a ball, a flat paper, a crumpled paper). They drop them from the same height in pairs and record which ones fall fast and which fall slow, discussing why.

30 min·Pairs

Simulation Game: Parachute Designers

Small groups attach a 'passenger' (a plastic figure) to different materials (napkin, plastic bag, fabric) with string. They drop them to see which material creates the most 'air catch' to slow down the fall of gravity.

45 min·Small Groups

Think-Pair-Share: The Upside Down World

Show a globe and ask students why people on the 'bottom' (like in Australia!) don't fall off into space. Discuss the idea of gravity pulling everything toward the center of the Earth, then share ideas as a class.

20 min·Whole Class

Real-World Connections

• A baseball player uses a bat to push a ball, changing its direction and speed to hit it into the field. Coaches and players analyze these interactions to improve performance.
• Engineers design playground equipment like swings and merry-go-rounds, considering the forces needed to start them moving and change their direction safely.
• In a game of soccer, players use their feet to push the ball, directing it towards teammates or the goal. This requires understanding how different pushes create different paths.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

Provide students with toy cars and ramps. Ask them to give the car a push to make it go straight down the ramp. Then, ask them to use a second push to make it change direction. Observe and note which students can successfully change the car's direction.

Discussion Prompt

Show students a video clip of a game like bowling or marbles. Ask: 'What pushes or pulls did you see? How did the object's direction change? Can you describe the path it took?' Encourage students to use the new vocabulary.

Exit Ticket

Give each student a piece of paper. Ask them to draw two pictures: one showing a push changing an object's direction, and another showing a pull changing an object's direction. They should label each drawing with 'push' or 'pull'.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I explain gravity without getting too technical?

Call it the 'Earth's Magnet'. Just like a magnet pulls metal, the Earth has a special pull that tugs on everything, people, trees, water, and even the air. It's the reason our feet stay on the ground and why 'up' is away from the Earth and 'down' is toward it.

What are the best hands-on strategies for teaching gravity?

Comparative dropping is the most effective. By dropping a flat sheet of paper and a crumpled ball of the same paper, students see that the 'pull' is the same, but the shape changes how the air pushes back. This makes the invisible force of air resistance visible and understandable.

Why do some things, like bubbles or balloons, go up?

This is a tricky one! Explain that they are so light that the heavier air around them pushes them up, like a cork in water. Gravity is still pulling on them, but the air is pushing harder. It's a great way to show that multiple forces can act at once.

How does gravity affect the ocean?

You can mention that gravity (from the moon!) is what pulls the ocean water back and forth to create tides. In Australia, with our huge coastline, this is a great way to link a 'space' concept to the beach and the waves students see.

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