Young Explorers: Discovering Our World · 1st Year

Active learning ideas

Identifying Pushes and Pulls

Active learning turns abstract forces into tangible experiences that young learners can see and feel. When students physically push, pull, and observe motion, they build lasting mental models of pushes and pulls that connect directly to their daily lives.

• NCCA Curriculum Specifications
• NCCA: Primary - Energy and Forces
• NCCA: Primary - Forces

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

Activity 01

• Inquiry Circle
• 35 min · Small Groups

Outdoor Relay: Push-Pull Tasks

Set up stations with hoops to push, ropes to pull, and balls to kick. Small groups rotate, timing how far or fast objects move. Groups share one observation per station in a closing circle.

Explain the mechanisms by which objects are set into motion.

Facilitation Tip

At Station Rotation: Everyday Forces, place a timer at each station and remind students to rotate only after completing the task and recording their findings in a shared notebook.

What to look for

During a classroom activity where students are moving objects, ask them to point to an object and say if they are using a push or a pull to move it. Then, ask them to describe what happened to the object's motion.

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

Activity 02

• Inquiry Circle
• 25 min · Pairs

Pairs Challenge: Varying Force Strength

Partners use toy cars on flat surfaces, taking turns with light, medium, and hard pushes or pulls. Measure distance traveled with tape measures and sketch results on charts. Compare notes to spot patterns.

Differentiate between the actions of a push and a pull.

What to look for

Provide students with a worksheet showing pictures of common actions (e.g., opening a door, kicking a ball, pulling a rope). Ask them to circle the pushes and underline the pulls. For one picture, they should write a sentence explaining the effect of the force.

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

Activity 03

• Inquiry Circle
• 30 min · Whole Class

Whole Class Demo: Ramp Explorations

Build simple ramps from books and boards. Class watches as teacher or volunteers push cars up and pull them down with strings, voting on what changes speed. Record class predictions vs outcomes on a shared board.

Analyze methods for increasing the speed of an object's movement.

What to look for

Gather students in a circle and have them take turns demonstrating a push or a pull using a safe classroom object. After each demonstration, ask the class: 'What force did [student's name] use? What happened to the object?'

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

Activity 04

• Stations Rotation
• 40 min · Small Groups

Stations Rotation: Everyday Forces

Prepare four stations: push doors, pull chairs, swing arms like pendulums, roll balls. Students rotate in small groups, drawing quick sketches of effects at each. Debrief with partner shares.

Explain the mechanisms by which objects are set into motion.

What to look for

During a classroom activity where students are moving objects, ask them to point to an object and say if they are using a push or a pull to move it. Then, ask them to describe what happened to the object's motion.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Research shows young children learn forces best when they connect physical action to language and observation. Focus on guided trials where students predict, act, and explain, then refine their ideas through peer feedback. Avoid lengthy explanations before hands-on trials; let the evidence lead the discussion.

Students will confidently identify pushes and pulls in real-world contexts, explain how force strength changes motion, and use vocabulary like push, pull, force, and friction correctly in discussions and demonstrations.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Pairs Challenge: Varying Force Strength, watch for students who believe all objects move the same way regardless of weight or surface.

  Hand each pair a light ball and a heavy block, and ask them to push both with the same effort. Have them compare distances and discuss why one moved farther, using the chart to record weight and surface differences.

• During Outdoor Relay: Push-Pull Tasks, watch for students who think a single push makes an object move forever.

  Set a clear finish line and ask students to push the object only once, then observe and discuss why it stops before the line. Use the class chart to track stops and relate them to friction and distance.

• During Station Rotation: Everyday Forces, watch for students who believe only hands can push or pull.

  At the magnet station, ask students to use a string to pull a paperclip and at the wind station, use a fan to push a feather. After trials, hold a class share where students name the force source and describe what happened.

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Methods used in this brief

• Inquiry Circle
• Stations Rotation