Science · Year 7

Active learning ideas

Friction and Air Resistance

Active learning works for friction and air resistance because students need to feel and see these invisible forces at play. When they pull blocks across different surfaces or watch parachutes drift down, they connect abstract concepts to memorable evidence in real time.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9S7U04

• 30–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Experiential Learning
• 45 min · Small Groups

Ramp Testing: Surface Friction

Provide ramps and toy cars or blocks. Students test smooth wood, carpet, and sandpaper surfaces, measuring distance traveled after release from a fixed height. They record times and distances in tables, then graph results to compare friction effects.

Analyze how different surfaces affect the amount of friction generated.

Facilitation Tip

During Ramp Testing, remind students to keep the block mass and ramp angle constant so only surface texture changes.

What to look for

Provide students with a scenario: 'A car is driving down a road.' Ask them to write down two forces acting on the car that oppose its motion and explain how changing the car's shape might affect one of these forces.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Experiential Learning
• 35 min · Pairs

Parachute Drop: Air Resistance

Cut plastic bags into squares of varying sizes, attach strings and weights. Students drop parachutes from a balcony or stairs, timing descent with stopwatches. They discuss how surface area changes fall speed and redesign for slowest drop.

Explain the importance of friction in everyday activities.

Facilitation Tip

During Parachute Drop, ask students to time falls with the same drop height to ensure fair comparisons.

What to look for

Show students images of different objects (e.g., a flat sheet of paper, a crumpled ball of paper, a feather, a brick). Ask them to predict which object will fall fastest through the air and explain their reasoning based on air resistance.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Experiential Learning
• 40 min · Small Groups

Streamlining Challenge: Shape Effects

Students shape paper into balls, cones, and flat sheets, dropping them together from height. Use phones to video slow-motion falls, measure times, and note drag differences. Groups present findings on best shapes for minimal resistance.

Design an experiment to investigate the effect of surface area on air resistance.

Facilitation Tip

During Streamlining Challenge, provide a fixed object mass so students focus on shape effects only.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are designing a new type of shoe sole. What features would you include to increase friction for walking on wet surfaces, and why?' Facilitate a class discussion where students share their ideas and justify their design choices.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 04

• Experiential Learning
• 30 min · Whole Class

Whole Class Demo: Friction Factors

Demonstrate a weighted block sliding on a tilted board, adding weights or changing tilt. Class predicts and times slides, votes on key factors, then breaks into pairs to replicate with own materials.

Analyze how different surfaces affect the amount of friction generated.

Facilitation Tip

During Whole Class Demo, use a spring scale to let students feel force differences between rough and smooth surfaces.

What to look for

Provide students with a scenario: 'A car is driving down a road.' Ask them to write down two forces acting on the car that oppose its motion and explain how changing the car's shape might affect one of these forces.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach this topic through cycles of prediction, test, and reflection. Let students wrestle with their ideas first, then use the experiments to refine them. Avoid telling them the ‘right answer’ too soon, as misconceptions are best addressed through evidence from their own trials. Research shows this predict-observe-explain approach builds deeper understanding than direct instruction alone.

Students should explain how surface texture, size, and shape change motion by citing evidence from their tests. They should also distinguish between friction and air resistance, using vocabulary like ‘opposing force’ and ‘proportional’ in their reasoning.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Parachute Drop, watch for students who assume only fast objects face air resistance.

  Have students compare a feather and a coin dropped side by side, then time each to show that air resistance slows both, just more noticeably on the feather.

• During Parachute Drop, watch for students who link larger surface area to greater friction.

  Ask students to feel the difference between dragging a flat parachute and a crumpled one on a table, then relate this to their parachute tests to clarify that air resistance depends on surface area and shape.

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Methods used in this brief

• Experiential Learning