Push and Pull: Forces Around UsActivities & Teaching Strategies
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.
Learning Objectives
- 1Identify objects that can be pushed or pulled.
- 2Explain how a push force changes an object's position.
- 3Explain how a pull force changes an object's position.
- 4Demonstrate pushing and pulling actions on various objects.
- 5Classify everyday actions as either a push or a pull.
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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.
Prepare & details
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.
Setup: Flexible classroom arrangement with desks pushed aside for activity space, or standard rows with group-work stations rotated in sequence. Works in standard Indian classrooms of 40–48 students with basic furniture and no specialist equipment.
Materials: Chart paper and sketch pens for group recording, Everyday household or locally available objects relevant to the concept, Printed reflection prompt cards (one set per group), NCERT textbook for connecting activity outcomes to chapter content, Student notebook for individual reflection journalling
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.
Prepare & details
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.
Setup: Flexible classroom arrangement with desks pushed aside for activity space, or standard rows with group-work stations rotated in sequence. Works in standard Indian classrooms of 40–48 students with basic furniture and no specialist equipment.
Materials: Chart paper and sketch pens for group recording, Everyday household or locally available objects relevant to the concept, Printed reflection prompt cards (one set per group), NCERT textbook for connecting activity outcomes to chapter content, Student notebook for individual reflection journalling
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.
Prepare & details
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.
Setup: Flexible classroom arrangement with desks pushed aside for activity space, or standard rows with group-work stations rotated in sequence. Works in standard Indian classrooms of 40–48 students with basic furniture and no specialist equipment.
Materials: Chart paper and sketch pens for group recording, Everyday household or locally available objects relevant to the concept, Printed reflection prompt cards (one set per group), NCERT textbook for connecting activity outcomes to chapter content, Student notebook for individual reflection journalling
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.
Prepare & details
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.
Setup: Designate four to six fixed zones within the existing classroom layout — no furniture rearrangement required. Assign groups to zones using a rotation chart displayed on the blackboard. Each zone should have a laminated instruction card and all required materials pre-positioned before the period begins.
Materials: Laminated station instruction cards with must-do task and extension activity, NCERT-aligned task sheets or printed board-format practice questions, Visual rotation chart for the blackboard showing group assignments and timing, Individual exit ticket slips linked to the chapter objective
Teaching This Topic
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.
What to Expect
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.’
These activities are a starting point. A full mission is the experience.
- Complete facilitation script with teacher dialogue
- Printable student materials, ready for class
- Differentiation strategies for every learner
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Common MisconceptionDuring Pair Demo, watch for students who think pulling doesn’t really move objects like pushing does.
What to Teach Instead
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.
Common MisconceptionDuring Vary Strength Station, watch for students who insist only big pushes or pulls can move anything.
What to Teach Instead
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.
Common MisconceptionDuring Force Chain Relay, watch for students who believe once an object is pushed it should keep moving forever.
What to Teach Instead
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.
Assessment Ideas
After Pair Demo, show pictures of a swing, door, ball, and book. Ask students to point and say whether they would push or pull each to make it move, then give a one-sentence reason while you note who needs reinforcement.
During Vary Strength Station, give each student a small card. Ask them to draw one object they push and one they pull, and write the word under each before leaving the room.
After Force Chain Relay, ask: ‘Imagine you are playing with a toy train. How can you make it move forward? Now imagine you are flying a kite. How do you make it fly higher? What is the difference between these actions?’ Listen for the words push and pull in their answers to judge understanding.
Extensions & Scaffolding
- Challenge: Ask early finishers to predict how far a ball rolls when pushed with ten marbles versus five and record the difference.
- Scaffolding: Provide picture cards of common chores; students sort them into push or pull piles before sharing aloud.
- Deeper exploration: Let groups test how pushing a book on different surfaces changes how far it moves, then chart the results together.
Key Vocabulary
| Push | A force that moves an object away from you. For example, pushing a toy car forward. |
| Pull | A force that moves an object towards you. For example, pulling a door open. |
| Force | A push or a pull that can make an object move, stop, or change direction. |
| Movement | The act of changing position or place. Pushing or pulling causes movement. |
Suggested Methodologies
Planning templates for Science (EVS K-5)
5E Model
The 5E Model structures lessons through five phases (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate), guiding students from curiosity to deep understanding through inquiry-based learning.
Unit PlannerThematic Unit
Organize a multi-week unit around a central theme or essential question that cuts across topics, texts, and disciplines, helping students see connections and build deeper understanding.
RubricSingle-Point Rubric
Build a single-point rubric that defines only the "meets standard" level, leaving space for teachers to document what exceeded and what fell short. Simple to create, easy for students to understand.
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