Science · Year 1

Active learning ideas

Changing Direction of Movement with Forces

Active learning works well for this topic because young students learn best by seeing forces in action. Handling objects, testing predictions, and discussing observations helps them connect abstract ideas like gravity and air resistance to their own experiences.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9S1U04

• 20–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Inquiry Circle
• 30 min · Pairs

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.

Analyze how hitting a ball changes its direction.

Facilitation Tip

During Collaborative Investigation: The Great Drop, circulate and ask each group to predict which ball will hit the ground first before they drop them, then circle back to discuss why their predictions matched or didn’t.

What to look for

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.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Simulation Game
• 45 min · Small Groups

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.

Differentiate between a straight path and a curved path of movement.

Facilitation Tip

During Simulation: Parachute Designers, remind students to test one variable at a time, such as changing only the size of the parachute while keeping the weight the same.

What to look for

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.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 20 min · Whole Class

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.

Design a game that requires changing the direction of an object.

Facilitation Tip

During Think-Pair-Share: The Upside Down World, first have students quietly sketch their ideas before pairing up to share, which gives quieter students time to process.

What to look for

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'.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should start with hands-on exploration before introducing vocabulary. Avoid overwhelming students with too many new terms at once. Instead, name the forces as they come up during activities, such as saying, ‘The air is pushing up on the parachute, which is air resistance.’ Research shows that linking new ideas to familiar experiences, like jumping or dropping toys, strengthens understanding.

Successful learning looks like students using force vocabulary to explain what they see. They should predict outcomes, test ideas, and adjust their thinking based on evidence from the activities. By the end, they should confidently describe how pushes and pulls change direction.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Collaborative Investigation: The Great Drop, watch for students who insist heavy objects fall faster.

  Have them drop the golf ball and ping pong ball at the same time and observe. Ask, ‘Which one hit first? What does that tell us about gravity and weight?’

• During Simulation: Parachute Designers, watch for students who think gravity disappears in space.

  Show a short clip of astronauts on the moon and ask, ‘Do they float away or stay close to the ground? What does that tell us about gravity?’

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Methods used in this brief

• Inquiry Circle
• Simulation Game
• Think-Pair-Share