Science · Year 1

Active learning ideas

Identifying Pushes and Pulls in Everyday Life

Active learning helps Year 1 students connect abstract forces to their everyday experiences, making pushes and pulls tangible rather than theoretical. When children manipulate objects directly, they build foundational understanding through movement, observation, and discussion, which is essential for grasping physical science concepts.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9S1U04

• 15–30 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Think-Pair-Share
• 25 min · Small Groups

Scavenger Hunt: Classroom Push-Pull Search

Provide checklists of push and pull actions. Students search the room, perform actions like pushing chairs or pulling curtains, and note observations with drawings or words. Groups share findings in a class chart. Debrief with examples from key questions.

Explain the difference between pushing a door open and pulling it closed.

Facilitation Tip

During the Scavenger Hunt, circulate to prompt students to describe the direction of the force they observe, such as 'Is the wind pushing the ball or pulling it?'

What to look for

Show students pictures of various activities (e.g., opening a drawer, riding a bike, throwing a ball, closing a book). Ask students to point to the picture and say whether it involves a push, a pull, or both.

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

Activity 02

• Think-Pair-Share
• 30 min · Pairs

Pairs Experiment: Ramp Push Tests

Partners set up ramps with books. They push light balls and heavy blocks, noting distance traveled and force used. Switch roles and record differences. Discuss why heavy objects need more push.

Compare the force needed to push a heavy box versus a light box.

Facilitation Tip

In the Ramp Push Tests, ask pairs to predict which ball will roll farther before testing, then discuss why their predictions matched or didn’t.

What to look for

On a slip of paper, ask students to draw one object that requires a push to move and one object that requires a pull to move. Have them label each drawing with 'push' or 'pull'.

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

Activity 03

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

Whole Class Demo: Door Force Challenge

Demonstrate pushing and pulling classroom doors with helpers. Students predict ease for different people or add weights. Measure with hand spans if possible. Class votes and explains observations.

Construct a list of activities that involve both pushes and pulls.

Facilitation Tip

For the Door Force Challenge, have students stand on both sides of the door to feel the difference in effort required to open it inward versus outward.

What to look for

Present students with two objects of significantly different weights (e.g., a feather and a book). Ask: 'Which object is easier to push across the table? Why do you think that is?' Guide them to discuss the concept of force needed for heavier objects.

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

Activity 04

• Think-Pair-Share
• 15 min · Individual

Individual List: My Day Pushes and Pulls

Students draw or write three morning activities involving pushes or pulls, like pushing cereal or pulling socks. Share one with a partner. Compile into a class big book.

Explain the difference between pushing a door open and pulling it closed.

What to look for

Show students pictures of various activities (e.g., opening a drawer, riding a bike, throwing a ball, closing a book). Ask students to point to the picture and say whether it involves a push, a pull, or both.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should model force vocabulary explicitly, using gesture and real-time narration during demonstrations. Avoid over-explaining; instead, let students articulate their observations first, then refine their language with targeted questions. Research shows that young learners grasp forces best when they link abstract concepts to concrete, personal experiences, so prioritize hands-on trials over worksheets.

Successful learning looks like students confidently identifying pushes and pulls in familiar actions, comparing forces with peers, and explaining how mass affects motion. They should use terms like push, pull, and force correctly in conversations and simple diagrams.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Scavenger Hunt, watch for students who only point to actions done by people or animals as pushes or pulls.

  Redirect them to look for objects moved by wind, magnets, or rolling, then ask, 'What is making the ball roll? Is it a push or a pull?' to guide their observations.

• During the Ramp Push Tests, watch for students who assume a harder push always makes any object go farther, regardless of weight.

  Have them test light and heavy objects side by side, then ask, 'Why did the heavier ball stop sooner?' to highlight the role of mass in force.

• During the Door Force Challenge, watch for students who think pulling a door closed is the same as pushing it open.

  Ask them to stand on both sides and feel the difference, then draw arrows on a whiteboard to show the direction of the force from their hands.

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Methods used in this brief

• Think-Pair-Share