Science · 2nd Year

Active learning ideas

The Power of Pushes and Pulls

Active learning works for this topic because forces are abstract until students physically experience pushes and pulls in real time. Children in second year learn best when they connect textbook ideas to tangible outcomes, making these activities essential for deep understanding.

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

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

Activity 01

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

Ramp Challenges: Toy Car Races

Provide toy cars, ramps, and varied surfaces like carpet, sandpaper, and smooth boards. Students predict and test how incline and texture affect speed, measure distances rolled, and discuss results. Record findings on simple charts.

Differentiate between a push and a pull force in everyday actions.

Facilitation Tip

During Ramp Challenges: Toy Car Races, set up multiple ramps with different textures in advance so students can rotate through trials without delays.

What to look for

Present students with pictures of common actions (e.g., opening a door, kicking a ball, pulling a wagon, tying shoelaces). Ask them to label each action as a 'push' or 'pull' and briefly explain why.

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

Activity 02

• Plan-Do-Review
• 25 min · Pairs

Push-Pull Scavenger Hunt

Give pairs checklists of classroom and outdoor pushes and pulls, such as opening drawers or kicking balls. Students photograph or sketch examples, categorize them, and share with the class. Extend by acting out predictions.

Analyze the factors that cause a toy car to accelerate or decelerate.

Facilitation Tip

For Push-Pull Scavenger Hunt, provide clipboards and pencils for students to document their findings with sketches and labels.

What to look for

Give students a toy car, a ramp, and a piece of carpet and a smooth tile. Ask them to record two observations about how the car's motion changes on each surface and explain which force is primarily responsible for slowing it down.

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

Activity 03

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

Balloon Push Relay

Inflate balloons and have teams push them across the floor using only air from lungs or hand waves, without touching. Observe starts, stops, and direction changes, then discuss force strength. Repeat with heavier objects.

Predict the outcome if an attempt were made to move a heavy box without applying any force.

Facilitation Tip

In Balloon Push Relay, assign roles clearly so every student participates, whether as a runner, timer, or recorder.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you need to move a large, heavy refrigerator across your kitchen floor. What forces would you need to apply, and what challenges might friction create?' Facilitate a class discussion on their predictions and reasoning.

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

Activity 04

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

Friction Finders: Whole Class Demo

Demonstrate a sliding block on different fabrics while class predicts stopping distances. Students then test in pairs and vote on patterns. Compile class data on a shared graph.

Differentiate between a push and a pull force in everyday actions.

Facilitation Tip

During Friction Finders: Whole Class Demo, use a spring scale to measure force when pulling objects so students see quantitative differences.

What to look for

Present students with pictures of common actions (e.g., opening a door, kicking a ball, pulling a wagon, tying shoelaces). Ask them to label each action as a 'push' or 'pull' and briefly explain why.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start with concrete, observable actions before introducing vocabulary to avoid overwhelming students with terms they haven’t yet connected to experience. Avoid long lectures about forces; instead, use guided questioning during activities to prompt reasoning. Research shows that early years learners develop scientific concepts through repeated, varied experiences rather than abstract explanations.

Successful learning looks like students accurately identifying pushes and pulls in multiple contexts, explaining how forces affect motion, and applying these ideas to predict outcomes. They should use evidence from hands-on trials to justify their reasoning during discussions and recordings.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Balloon Push Relay, watch for students who assume only their hands apply force.

  Use the balloon race to redirect thinking: ask students to notice how air escaping the balloon pushes the car forward, demonstrating a non-living force in action.

• During Ramp Challenges: Toy Car Races, watch for students who believe motion continues indefinitely once started.

  Use the ramp surfaces to highlight friction: guide students to observe how carpet slows the car more than smooth tile, directly linking surface texture to stopping motion.

• During Push-Pull Scavenger Hunt, watch for students who claim pulling is always easier than pushing heavy objects.

  Have students test both actions with the same object during the hunt, then compare distances moved to challenge their initial assumption and refine their understanding.

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Methods used in this brief

• Plan-Do-Review