Science · Year 1

Active learning ideas

Making Things Move

Active learning helps children grasp forces because movement is visible and tangible. When students push, pull, and measure objects themselves, they connect abstract concepts like push strength and object weight to concrete outcomes they can see and feel.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS1: Science - Forces and motion

• 25–40 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Plan-Do-Review
• 30 min · Pairs

Pairs Experiment: Toy Car Pushes

Pairs use toy cars on a flat surface marked with tape lines at 50cm, 100cm, and 150cm. One child gives a gentle push, the other a strong push, then measures and records distance with rulers or string. Switch roles and repeat three times for fair testing.

Explain how a strong push makes an object move further than a gentle push.

Facilitation Tip

During the Pairs Experiment, remind students to push the toy car in the same direction each time to keep the test fair.

What to look for

Present students with several pictures of objects in motion (e.g., a child kicking a ball, a person pulling a wagon, a car driving). Ask them to point to the picture and say if it shows a push or a pull, and if the object is moving faster or slower.

• Remember
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Decision-Making
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Plan-Do-Review
• 35 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Heavy vs Light Challenge

Provide trays with light items like sponges and heavy ones like bricks. Groups push each item with the same force across a table, timing with stopwatches or counting seconds. Discuss why heavy items move slower and stop sooner.

Compare the force needed to move a light object versus a heavy object.

Facilitation Tip

For the Heavy vs Light Challenge, ask students to feel the difference in effort needed before they measure movement to deepen their understanding.

What to look for

Give each student a toy car and a ramp. Ask them to draw two pictures: one showing a gentle push and the resulting distance, and another showing a strong push and the resulting distance. They should label which push was gentle and which was strong.

• Remember
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Decision-Making
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Plan-Do-Review
• 40 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Ramp Push Relay

Set up low ramps around the room. Class lines up to push balls down ramps with gentle or strong pushes, observing speed and distance. Chart results on a class board, predicting next outcomes.

Design an experiment to test how far a toy car travels with different pushes.

Facilitation Tip

In the Ramp Push Relay, set a clear start line so all groups measure from the same point.

What to look for

Ask students: 'Imagine you have a small pebble and a large rock. Which one do you think will be harder to push, and why?' Listen for their explanations relating effort to the weight or heaviness of the object.

• Remember
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Decision-Making
• Self-Awareness

Activity 04

• Plan-Do-Review
• 25 min · Individual

Individual: Prediction Sheets

Each child draws three pushes on paper: gentle, medium, strong. Predict and test with a chosen toy, marking actual distances beside predictions. Share one surprise with the class.

Explain how a strong push makes an object move further than a gentle push.

Facilitation Tip

When using Prediction Sheets, have students draw arrows to show the direction of their push or pull before they test.

What to look for

Present students with several pictures of objects in motion (e.g., a child kicking a ball, a person pulling a wagon, a car driving). Ask them to point to the picture and say if it shows a push or a pull, and if the object is moving faster or slower.

• Remember
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Decision-Making
• Self-Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach this topic through repeated, simple tests where students change one variable at a time. Avoid over-explaining; let them discover patterns through doing. Research shows that young learners build accurate mental models when they physically experience forces, so keep explanations short and tied to what they observe. Avoid using terms like ‘inertia’ or ‘friction’ until students have a clear sense of the effects through play.

Successful learning looks like students confidently predicting, testing, and explaining how pushes and pulls affect objects. They should use terms like ‘stronger push’ or ‘heavier object’ correctly when describing their results.

---

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Pairs Experiment, watch for students who think the toy car should keep rolling forever after one push.

  During the Pairs Experiment, ask students to compare pushes on different surfaces like carpet and smooth tables, and ask them to explain why the car stops sooner on carpet.

• During the Heavy vs Light Challenge, watch for students who believe all objects need the same push strength to move the same way.

  During the Heavy vs Light Challenge, have students hold and feel the difference in weight, then measure how far each object moves with the same push to build direct evidence.

• During the Ramp Push Relay, watch for students who think pushes only work on wheels or balls.

  During the Ramp Push Relay, include items like books or erasers alongside balls and cars, and ask students to observe how each object moves when pushed, noting that pushes work on all objects even if movement differs.

---

Methods used in this brief

• Plan-Do-Review