Science (EVS K-5) · Class 1

Active learning ideas

Push and Pull: Forces Around Us

Active learning works for this topic because children’s everyday play and chores already include pushes and pulls. When students handle real objects, their muscles and minds connect the action to the concept, making force vocabulary stick in their daily language.

• CBSE Learning Outcomes
• NCERT EVS Syllabus (Classes I-II), Theme: Things We Make and Do: Explores the effects of simple actions like pushing and pulling on objects.
• NCERT Learning Outcomes at Elementary Stage, EVS-104: Performs simple actions/experiments to explore properties of objects and materials.
• CBSE Syllabus for EVS Class 1, Work and Play: Understands simple actions like push and pull.

• 20–35 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Experiential Learning
• 25 min · Pairs

Pair Demo: Push-Pull Objects

Pair students with a soft ball and string. One pushes the ball across the floor and notes direction of movement. Partner attaches string and pulls it back, observing change. Pairs discuss and draw what they see.

Differentiate between a push and a pull action.

Facilitation Tip

During Pair Demo, pass a soft toy between partners so each child physically experiences both pushes and pulls on the same object before explaining.

What to look for

Show students pictures of common objects (e.g., a swing, a door, a ball, a book). Ask them to point to the picture and say whether they would push or pull it to make it move, and then briefly explain why.

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

Activity 02

• Experiential Learning
• 30 min · Small Groups

Relay Game: Force Chain

Form small groups in lines. First student pushes a hoop to the next, who pulls it back using string. Continue chain, timing the group. Debrief on push-pull roles.

Explain how push and pull forces make objects move.

Facilitation Tip

For Force Chain Relay, stand at the start line to give a gentle tap on the back to signal the push, ensuring equal force for every run.

What to look for

Give each student a small card. Ask them to draw one object they push and one object they pull. Under each drawing, they should write the word 'Push' or 'Pull'.

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

Activity 03

• Experiential Learning
• 20 min · Whole Class

Hunt Activity: Classroom Forces

Lead whole class on a walk around room or playground. Students list five pushes and five pulls they spot, like pushing doors or pulling chairs. Share findings on chart paper.

Identify everyday activities that involve pushing or pulling.

Facilitation Tip

In Classroom Forces Hunt, give each pair a coloured sticker to mark locations they identify, so you can quickly spot and discuss their findings.

What to look for

Ask students: 'Imagine you are playing with a toy train. How can you make it move forward? (Push). Now imagine you are playing with a kite. How do you make it fly higher? (Pull). What is the difference between these actions?'

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

Activity 04

• Stations Rotation
• 35 min · Small Groups

Stations Rotation: Vary Strength

Set three stations with toys: gentle push-pull, hard push-pull, no force. Groups rotate, test on table and floor, record if objects move. Compare results.

Differentiate between a push and a pull action.

Facilitation Tip

At Vary Strength Station, place a 1 kg weight on the floor so students feel the difference when they apply light or heavy pushes on the same box.

What to look for

Show students pictures of common objects (e.g., a swing, a door, a ball, a book). Ask them to point to the picture and say whether they would push or pull it to make it move, and then briefly explain why.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Begin with objects from home—rollers, books, ropes—so the vocabulary feels familiar. Keep explanations short and let the objects do the teaching. Avoid abstract demonstrations; instead, let children argue about whether a swing is pushed or pulled while they stand on it. Research shows that repeated, low-stakes trials with the same materials build muscle memory and confidence faster than one-time explanations.

Successful learning looks like students correctly naming pushes and pulls, using the words in sentences, and pointing them out in routines without hesitation. You will hear phrases such as, ‘I pulled the drawer open,’ or, ‘I pushed the scooter to move it.’

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Pair Demo, watch for students who think pulling doesn’t really move objects like pushing does.

  Ask the pair to stand back-to-back and take turns pushing and pulling the same toy. After they feel both, invite one partner to explain how the toy moved closer during the pull, using the toy as evidence.

• During Vary Strength Station, watch for students who insist only big pushes or pulls can move anything.

  Place an empty plastic bottle on the table and ask them to push it with one finger. When it moves, ask the group how a small force was enough, then repeat with a heavier book to show when more force is needed.

• During Force Chain Relay, watch for students who believe once an object is pushed it should keep moving forever.

  After each run, ask the class to observe where the ball stops and to feel the mat’s surface. Have them predict which mats will stop the ball sooner and test their ideas in the next round, building shared evidence about friction.

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Methods used in this brief

• Experiential Learning
• Stations Rotation