Force and Motion

Year 7

4 weeks (13 lessons x 50mins)

Learning Aims
Students are investigating the effects of applying forces to familiar objects and looking at the common situations
where forces are balanced, such as stationary objects and unbalanced, such as falling objects. They will gather data
to analyse everyday motions produced by forces, such as measurements of distance and time, speed, force, mass
and acceleration. Use Newtons Laws to recognise that a stationary object will remain stationary unless it is acted
upon by a force. Students will use Newtons second law to predict how a force affects the movement of an object and
recognise and apply Newtons third law to describe the effect of interactions between two objects. Understanding
different types of graphical and physical representation and considering their advantages and disadvantages. Use
programs such as spread-sheets to aid presentation and simple analysis of data. Reading and describing trends
shown in collected data and identifying indicators of the quality of data when analysing results. Discussing
investigation methods with others to share ideas about quality of inquiry process and suggesting improvements to
inquiry methods.

Content Descriptors
Change to an objects motion is caused by unbalanced forces acting on the object (ACSSU117)
Use scientific knowledge and findings from investigations to evaluate claims (ACSIS132)
Communicate ideas, findings and solutions to problems using scientific language and representations using digital
technologies as appropriate (ACSIS133)
Reflect on the method used to investigate a question or solve a problem, including evaluating the quality of
the data collected, and identify improvements to the method (ACSIS131)
Construct and use a range of representations, including graphs, keys and models to represent and analyse patterns
or relationships, including using digital technologies as appropriate (ACSIS129)
In fair tests, measure and control variables, and select equipment to collect data with accuracy appropriate to the
task (ACSIS126)

Summative Assessment

You are to choose one (1) of the options below to further investigate
frictional force.
Practical Investigation: Investigate the most effective way of reducing friction.
You must design your own experiment with the materials available and present your
findings in a formal practical report. Materials available: soap, oil detergent, rollers,
spring balances, wood blocks (dont forget these have two different shaped sides!).
Poster: Choose a machine and draw it in the middle of your poster paper. Include
10 places on the machine where friction exists. At each point explain if friction has
been increased or decreased, how this has been done and why it is necessary.

Essay: Write a 200-300 word essay based on the topic A day with very little
friction. Imagine you woke up one day and there was very little friction in the
world. What would happen? How would you go about your daily routines? Write an
essay explaining what your day would be like.
End of unit test:
Students will be given an open book test where they are able to use the work book
they have been adding to throughout the force and motion unit. This test will
include questions from the entire unit completed. This test will be marked with a
score out of 30.

Learning Sequence
lesson
1+2
(100mi
ns)

Focus

Objectives

Activity

Forces
What are
forces?

-For the students to

Students will
use examples
to explain a
push and a pull,
start / stop
motions and
change in
direction etc

have a better
understanding of
force and how it
works
-To understand the
difference between
contact and noncontact forces as
well as balanced and
unbalanced forces.
-To experiment with
the measurement of
a force using a
spring balance

3.
(50min
s)

Friction

-Students will look at

how can friction be
increased and
decreased?

Students will
undergo an
experiment on
what a force
can do using
rubber bands,
plasticine etc
and then
answer
questions in
their work book
Use spring
balances to
measure forces
and discuss
their findings
Students will
look at an
object (person
on a bike) and

Assessment

Work book
questions and
participation
during class
experiments

-Recognise where
friction is occurring
on an array of
objects
-Understand the
purpose of wanting
to increase or
decrease friction
-Be able to measure
friction using a
spring balance

4.
(50min
s)

Air resistance;

-Students will
understand the
difference between
increasing and
decreasing air
resistance
-Students will know
increase or decrease
air resistance with
shape
-record results in a
table and find the
average
-Understand the
importance of an
average in a results
section

5.
(50min
s)

Water forces;
circuit

-For the students to

have a better
understanding of
water forces
-To understand the
difference between
buoyancy and
surface tension

discuss where
friction is
occurring
Students will
measure
friction using a
block of wood
and spring
balances

Results,
discussion and
conclusion
section

Students will
record results, a
discussion and
a conclusion for
the experiment
Students will
conduct a
parachute
experiment
using a number
of different
sized plastic
parachutes and
a plasticine sky
diver

Participation
and discussion
questions used
to interpret
results.

They will record

their results
into a table and
answer
discussion
questions and a
short
conclusion at
the end
Students will
move from
stations 1-4 and
attempt the
experiments
Creation of
and questions
water force
with no prior
experiment
explanation

-To experiment with

water in increase
students
understanding

6.
(50min
s)

Gravity

-Understanding
gravity and how
mass effects the
amount of gravity
-Looking at mass and
weight and how they
differ

Once the
experiment was
completed
students will
discuss water
forces as a
group and look
at which water
forces were at
each station
Students will
then create in
pairs their own
water force
experiment
Students will fill
out a table
comparing
mass (kg) to
weight (N).
Students will
then drop 50g
mass and a 50g
ball of
plasticine at the
same time and
record which
falls fastest.
They will then
mold the
plasticine into a
number of
shapes and test
the rate in
which It falls
compared to
the 50g mass
Students will fill
out their results
in a table and
answer
discussion

Interpretation
of results
through
discussion
questions

questions

7.
(50min
s)

Magnetism

-For the students to

have a better
understanding of
magnets and how
they work

Students will
work
collaboratively
to find answers
to the pop quiz

-To understand the

characteristics of a
magnets including
whether it is
permanent or
temporary

They will then

work through
the Magnetism
circuit
And answer the
questions
provided

-To explore how

magnets work
through a number of
experiments
8.
(50min
s)

Electrostatics

-Understanding
atoms, and how they
are made up of
protons, neutrons
and electrons
-To be able to explain
how static electricity
is produced

9.
(50min
s)

Students will
produce static
electricity using
a number of
materials and
record their
results in a
table

-The difference
between positively
and negatively
charged substances

Discussion
questions will
then be
answered to
interpret results

-For the students to

have a better
understanding

The teacher will

then
demonstrate
the Van de graff
generator to
help explain
static electricity
Students made
teams of 3 and
were asked to
find Newtons 3

Observation of
learning
through
throwing the
ball at the end
of the lesson

Interpretation
of results

Introduction to
Newtons Laws

Newtons Laws
-To be able to put the
laws into your own
words and
demonstrate them
as a group
-To work
collaboratively in a
group
-To understand the
connection between
force and motion

laws in a
provided text
book,
Each group had
to read the
three laws and
then attempt to
put them into
their own
words. The
answers were
discussed as a
class
In their groups
students had to
then create a
story using
Newtons 3
laws or a role
play to explain
them

10.
(50min
s)

Newtons first
law

-To understand the

meaning of inertia
and how it relates to
Newtons first law
-To conduct a
number of
experiments to help
explain Newtons
first law
-To use an hypothesis
to predict what
might happen before
an experiment

Observation of
participation
and
engagement
throughout the
lesson

Students
interpretation
and
understanding
of Newtons 3
laws of motion

At the end of
the lesson
students
presented their
creative piece
to the class
Penny on a card
experiment
used to explain
the law of
inertia
A body in
motion
experiment:
students will try
and drop a
tennis ball on a
target as they
run past the
target. Then
will try to

Hypothesis and
explanation of
results

interpret why
they might be
missing the
target

-Understanding
Newtons 2nd law

11 + 12
(100mi
ns)

Newtons
second law

-Recognising that
Force= mass x
acceleration
And making a
connection with real
life objects
-Using ticker timers
to measure
acceleration
-Using results to
create a graph and
interpret and analyse
their findings

13
(50min
s)

-Understanding
Newtons 3rd law
-Being able to
recognize an action
and reaction pair and
understanding how
the forces are equal
Newtons third
law

-describe the effect

of interactions
between two objects

Students will
head outside of
the classroom
to push two
cars of different
mass to see
how mass can
effect
acceleration
They will then
use ticker
timers to
measure
acceleration
and record
results in the
form a graph
Students will
then interpret
their findings
and consider
variables they
may have
effected their
results
Discuss as a
class Newtons
3rd law and
allow students
to draw an
example on the
board or use a
ball.
What a cartoon
of Newtons 3rd
law to help
students

Graph of ticker
timer results
and
interpretation
questions

Test to be
marked

using Newtons third

law

understand
Fill out the work
sheet provided
on action and
reaction forces
Students will be
given a test
where they can
use their work
books
throughout the
unit to answer
the questions