Science · Year 1

Active learning ideas

Making Objects Start and Stop Moving

Active exploration of pushes and pulls builds concrete understanding of forces in motion, which young learners grasp best through direct, hands-on experiences. These activities let students feel the difference between light and strong forces while observing cause and effect in real time, making abstract concepts tangible and memorable.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9S1U04

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

Activity 01

• Stations Rotation
• 45 min · Small Groups

Stations Rotation: Force Stations

Prepare four stations: push toy cars on smooth vs rough surfaces, pull blocks with strings of different lengths, redirect balls with hands, and stop objects with barriers. Small groups rotate every 10 minutes, sketching observations and noting force strength effects. Conclude with group share-out.

Analyze how a push makes a toy car start moving.

Facilitation Tip

At the force stations, demonstrate how to measure push distance with masking tape on the floor so students can replicate your method consistently.

What to look for

Provide students with two objects, like a small block and a large ball. Ask them to draw one push for each object and write one sentence explaining if the same push will make them move the same distance. Collect and review drawings and sentences.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 30 min · Pairs

Ramp Races: Prediction Challenge

Pairs construct ramps from books and cardboard, then push identical balls down with consistent force. Predict and measure travel distance, testing variables like ramp angle or surface covering. Chart results and compare predictions to outcomes.

Justify why some objects require a stronger push or pull to move.

Facilitation Tip

For ramp races, ask students to sketch their predictions before testing to make their thinking visible before they see results.

What to look for

During an experiment, ask students to hold up one finger for a light push/pull and two fingers for a strong push/pull when you describe a scenario. For example, 'Show me how you would give the toy car a light push to make it start moving.' Observe student responses.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 25 min · Whole Class

Whole Class Tug-of-War Variations

Divide class into teams for safe tug-of-war with ropes over marked lines, varying team sizes or surface types. Observe starting, speeding up, and stopping. Discuss force balance after each round.

Predict which object will move furthest with the same amount of push.

Facilitation Tip

During tug-of-war, have students sit and use their legs to pull against a partner to reduce falls and focus on force measurement instead of balance.

What to look for

Present a scenario: 'Imagine you are trying to stop a rolling ball. What kind of force, a push or a pull, would you use? Describe how you would use that force.' Facilitate a brief class discussion, encouraging students to use the terms 'push' and 'pull' in their answers.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 04

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 20 min · Individual

Individual Push Tests

Each student selects three classroom objects, pushes them with thumb force from a start line, and measures stop distance with rulers. Record in notebooks, then pair to compare patterns.

Analyze how a push makes a toy car start moving.

Facilitation Tip

In individual push tests, ask students to trace the path of their object with chalk to record its stopping point clearly.

What to look for

Provide students with two objects, like a small block and a large ball. Ask them to draw one push for each object and write one sentence explaining if the same push will make them move the same distance. Collect and review drawings and sentences.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness
• Decision-Making

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should let students experience opposing forces directly, because young learners often think motion stops on its own. Avoid over-explaining; instead, let students test their own ideas first, then guide them to notice contradictions. Research shows that repeated trials with varied conditions help students refine their mental models more effectively than demonstrations alone.

Students will clearly describe how force strength, direction, and surface friction affect motion, using terms like push, pull, start, stop, and change speed. They will predict outcomes based on prior trials and justify their reasoning with evidence from experiments.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Station Rotation: Force Stations, watch for students who assume all pushes make objects move the same distance.

  Have students measure and compare the distances their objects travel after light and strong pushes on different surfaces, then ask them to explain why some objects moved farther than others using their data.

• During Ramp Races: Prediction Challenge, watch for students who think objects stop moving on their own.

  Ask students to observe how the ball slows down on carpet versus smooth surfaces, then discuss what caused the change in motion before revising their predictions.

• During Whole Class Tug-of-War Variations, watch for students who believe pulls only work on objects with handles or strings.

  Provide a variety of objects like flat boards, fabric scraps, and smooth stones for pulling, and ask students to describe how they applied the force in each case.

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Methods used in this brief

• Stations Rotation
• Outdoor Investigation Session