What the lesson is about

If you’re looking at forces, there are a number of TESiboard interactive activities ideal for key stage 1 (P1-3), writes Sara Carroll.

Taking it further

Force Labeller looks at the forces at work in a playground context, allowing pupils to label the pushes and pulls and add arrows to show their direction. Can pupils spot any more forces in action around the school?

To check understanding, ask pupils to sort examples of forces into sets, dragging the circles to overlap to create a Venn diagram. There is also a virtual version of the class “car down a ramp” investigation - great to use after children have run a series of tests with toy cars in the classroom. With their knowledge of different surfaces and their relative friction, can they predict the results?

What else?

Science investigation cards uploaded by jlo provide complete primary science lessons, split into three age groups and crossing all strands. They include objectives, relevant resources, key questions and space for making recordings.

My favourite lesson idea is Superb Sound for key stage 1, where children explore and describe sounds that can be made by using various materials. Most classrooms have a box of donated junk, so just add beaters and some string.

In the lesson, children experiment with getting a sound from different objects by shaking or beating them. Introduce the idea of suspending objects with string and discuss how sound changes. Do bottles of different sizes make different sounds? Which materials are better at producing sound?

The materials lesson for KS2 (P4-7) asks pupils to use knowledge of the properties of materials to make a model boat and to test, then record their results.