2016-2020

Push Me, Pull You

Forces

fieldworkeducation.com/curriculums/primary-years/ipc
 Push Me, Pull You
Contents
Contents 2
Basic Information 3
Learning Goals 4
Assessment for Learning 6
The Entry Point 9
Knowledge Harvest 10
Unit Summary 12
Explaining The Theme 12
The Big Picture 13
Science Learning Goals 19
Science Task 1 20
Science Task 2 23
Science Task 3 26
Science Task 4 30
Science Task 5 33
Science Task 6 35
Science Extension Task 38
Technology Learning Goals 40
Technology Task 41
International Learning Goals 43
International Task 44
International Extension Task 46
The Exit Point 48
Resources 49

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 Push Me, Pull You
Basic Information
This section details the time allocation for this unit of work, links to other subjects and Assessment for
Learning opportunities.

Timings
This unit of work is intended to last about 2 ¾ weeks.
The following suggested timings are approximate guides and are dependent on each school's individual
context.

No of Hours No of Weeks
Entry Point, Knowledge Harvest, Explain the Theme 4 ½
Science 10 1¼
Technology 2 ¼
International 2 ¼
Exit Point 4 ½

Links to other IPC subjects

Links to ICT & Computin and Geography are provided at the end of tasks where appropriate.
Mathematics links
Suggestions of how to include links to Mathematics are provided where appropriate at the end of tasks.

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 Push Me, Pull You
Learning Goals
International Learning Goals
Children will:
1.01 Know that children within the class and school have different home countries
1.02 Know the names and approximate locations of the home countries of children within the class
(and/or school)
1.03 Know about some of the similarities and differences between the lives of children in the
different home countries and in the host country
1.05 Be able to work with each other where appropriate

Science Learning Goals

Children will:
1.01 Know that scientific enquiry involves asking questions, collecting evidence through observation
and measurement
1.02 Be able to pose simple scientific questions
1.03 Be able to identify ways of finding out about scientific issues
1.04 Be able, with help, to conduct simple investigations
1.05 Be able, with help, to gather information from simple texts
1.13 Know the names of the main external body parts of humans and animals
1.24 Know the names and properties of a range of materials
1.25 Know about the uses of different materials
1.33 Know how a range of forces, including pushes and pulls, can move object
1.38 Be able to describe the actions that result in changes in light, sound or movement

Technology Learning Goals

Children will:
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 Push Me, Pull You
1.01 Know that products in everyday use have an effect on people's lives
1.02 Be able to plan what they are going to make
1.03 Be able to describe their plans in pictures and words
1.04 Be able to use simple tools and materials to make products
1.05 Be able to choose appropriate tools and materials for their tasks
1.06 Be able to comment on their own plans and products and suggest areas of improvement

ICT & Computing Opportunities

The table below shows you where you can cover the following ICT & Computing Learning Goals.

Task Goals
International Task 1.5, 1.6, 1.9
Knowledge Harvest 1.4, 1.6
Science Extension Task 1.6
Science Task 1 1.3, 1.4, 1.6, 1.9
Science Task 3 1.4
Science Task 5 1.4, 1.9

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 Push Me, Pull You
Assessment for Learning
Are your children busy, or are they busy learning? This is the question that we need to be able to answer
throughout each IPC unit – what improvements are being made to children’s learning as a result of
studying this theme?
There are three areas of learning to reflect on, and three types of learning to assess.

The Three Areas of Learning: Academic, Personal and International

The three areas include academic, personal and international learning. To reflect on these, you will need
access to the IPC Learning Goals for each subject (including International) and the IPC Personal Goals – a
list of these can be found in Appendix A of the IPC Implementation File. You can also find a full list of IPC
Learning Goals in the Assess section of the Members’ Lounge.

The Three Types of Learning: Knowledge, Skills and Understanding

The three types of learning include knowledge, skills and understanding. We believe that differentiating
between knowledge, skills and understanding is crucial to the development of children’s learning. We
also believe that knowledge, skills and understanding have their own distinct characteristics that impact
on how each is planned for, learned, taught, assessed and reported on. The implications of these
differences are therefore far-reaching and deserve proper consideration.
Knowledge refers to factual information. Knowledge is relatively straightforward to teach and assess
(through quizzes, tests, multiple choice, etc.), even if it is not always that easy to recall. You can ask your
children to research the knowledge they have to learn but you could also tell them the knowledge they
need to know. Knowledge is continually changing and expanding – this is a challenge for schools that
have to choose what knowledge children should know and learn in a restricted period of time.
The IPC does not provide examples of knowledge assessment (tests or exams) as the knowledge content of the
curriculum can be adapted to any national curricula requirements.
Skills refer to things children are able to do. Skills have to be learned practically and need time to be
practiced. The good news about skills is the more your practice, the better you get at them! Skills are also
transferable and tend to be more stable than knowledge – this is true for almost all school subjects.
The IPC supports skills tracking and assessment through the IPC Assessment for Learning Programme. This
programme includes Teachers’ Rubrics, Children’s Rubrics and Learning Advice.
Understanding refers to the development or ‘grasping’ of conceptual ideas, the ‘lightbulb’ moment that
we all strive for. Understanding is always developing.
The IPC units can’t assess understanding for you, but they do allow you to provide a whole range of different
experiences through which children’s understandings can deepen.
(Please note: as well as the IPC Assessment for Learning Programme, we also offer an online Assessment
Tracking Tool, developed in partnership with Classroom Monitor. Please email
members@fieldworkeducation.com for more information on how to sign up to this tool.)

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 Push Me, Pull You
Planning for Assessment
Once you have planned for the different IPC Learning Goals for each subject it is important to plan for
assessment opportunities within each unit of work. Assessment needs to be balanced but rigorous to
ensure that the children have learned what we planned for them to learn. The diagram below illustrates
the processes you may want to use to ensure this happens.

Helping Children Reflect on Their Own Learning

In addition to teacher assessment, it is also vital to include children in reflecting on their learning and
setting next steps for improvement. Ask the children to carry out self-assessments throughout each unit
(using the Children’s Rubrics to assess skills, and other methods chosen by the school for knowledge and
understanding).
They could use the following headings to list/make notes on their newly acquired knowledge, skills and
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 Push Me, Pull You
understanding – ‘new things I now know’, ‘new things that I can do’ and ‘new things I am beginning to
understand’.
Ask the children to evaluate different aspects of their learning – what did they do well, what could
improve next time and how, what did they find the most/least interesting? How did they prefer to learn –
as an individual/in pairs/small groups/large groups/as a whole class? What was their preferred method of
researching and recording - writing/talking/making, etc.? This evaluation aspect will also support the
development of the IPC Personal Goals.

Further Information
For more information on assessment, and knowledge, skills and understanding, please refer to:
The IPC Implementation File
The Assessment for Learning Implementation File
The IPC Self-Review Process
Or contact the Membership Support team at members@fieldworkeducation.com

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 Push Me, Pull You
The Entry Point
During the course of this unit the children will be investigating push and pull forces through a playground
activities theme.
The three Forces units have been designed so that different mileposts can work on them at the same
time to share resources, knowledge and ideas. An all-school IPC unit not only creates an exciting, shared
experience, it also forges cross-phase links, builds unexpected friendships and creates many opportunities
for peer learning.
Start the units by playing tug-of-war games. Begin with small groups of children and then have a whole
class tug-of-war. Add to the fun by challenging other classes to a competition or you could form mixed
teams with a spread of different ages (and, therefore, strengths). Create team names and invite other
classes in the school to cheer the teams on. Take the opportunity to get the whole school involved and
working on this together.
Discuss tactics:
Should smaller/bigger children go at the front or the back?
How long should the rope be?
Is it easier with a shorter or longer rope?
Not only will this activity provide a lively start to the project but it will demonstrate the forces the
children will be investigating in this unit.

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 Push Me, Pull You
Knowledge Harvest
Refer back to the tug-of-war game at the entry point. Discuss how this game is lost or won. At the start of
the game the teams are balanced (both are pulling with an equal force). The object of the game is to pull
the opposing team over a middle line. The team that pulls with the greater force wins the game.
Ask the children to draw a series of annotated diagrams showing how a tug-of-war game is played, e.g.
the first picture could show the start of the game with the teams facing each other on either side of a
line – this shows a balance of forces. The next picture shows the teams pulling in opposite directions.
The children could draw arrows and label the direction of the pulling forces. The final picture shows the
winning team pulling with greater force to drag the other team over the line.

Do we only use pulling forces to play tug-of-war? Can the children recall the name of the other force that
we used? We pulled on the rope with our hands but what did we do with our feet? They were pushing
into the ground to stop us being pulled forwards. Instruct the children to label the push and pull forces on
their annotated diagrams.
Can the children think of any other push and pull forces? Think about other playground games that use
push and pull movements. Make a list of these on the board and discuss how they are played. The
children could draw action pictures, labelling the ‘push’ and ‘pull’ forces, to form the beginnings of the
knowledge harvest. The children will find many further opportunities of adding to their knowledge of
forces as they progress through the unit.
ICT link: make a computer animation to show a tug-of-war game. Scan a series of step-by-step pictures in
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 Push Me, Pull You
to the computer and link these together to create a moving scene.

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 Push Me, Pull You
Unit Summary
Every move we make is a result of a force. We can call these forces ‘pushes’ or ‘pulls’. You can pull
yourself up from your seat and you can push yourself down again. You can make lots of other push and
pull movements. Let’s find out about them.

Explaining The Theme

In Science, we’ll be finding out:
About pushes and pulls
How to change the speed of a moving object
How we use our muscles to push and pull
How water is a force that can move things
How we can use air to push and pull objects
How a magnetic force can push and pull
In Technology, we’ll be finding out:
How to design a toy that uses pushes and pulls
In International, we’ll be finding out:
About children’s games from around the world that use pushes and pulls
How we can help disadvantaged children in the world who don't have toys

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 Push Me, Pull You
The Big Picture
Forces
A force is a ‘push’ or a ‘pull’ or a combination of them. These pushes and pulls create movement and
changes of speed or direction; they can also stop movement. We cannot actually see a force, but we can
experience its effects or results. The greater the force, the greater effect it has. Forces act in opposition
to one another. If one force is greater than another, an object will move in that direction. Forces include
gravity, friction, magnetic and electrical forces. Forces can be measured in ‘Newtons’ (N) using a force
meter. Newton devised three laws of motion which form the basis of theories of movement.
Newton’s First Law - An object at rest will remain at rest unless an outside force acts on it. If an
object is moving, it will continue to move in a straight line at the same speed until an outside force
acts on it.
Newton’s Second Law - A force acting on an object causes it to accelerate in the direction of the
force; the amount of acceleration depends upon the size of the force and the mass of the object.
Newton’s Third Law - For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Meaning that for every
force there is a reaction force that is equal in size, but opposite in direction. Whenever an object
pushes another object it gets pushed back in the opposite direction equally hard.
Gravity
Gravity results from an attraction between masses, which causes them to pull towards one another. The
effect of this, because of the relative sizes of the Earth and objects on it, is that the objects are pulled
towards the centre of the Earth. They are stopped by the Earth’s surface. In space, the force of gravity is
less. This is experienced as ‘weightlessness’. Weight results from the force of gravity acting on a mass
(the volume and material of which an object is made).The mass of an object will not affect the speed that
the object falls as it is determined by the pull of gravity. Two objects of different masses will fall at the
same speed.

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 Push Me, Pull You
Friction
Friction is the force that slows down moving objects. When friction is high, surfaces cannot move easily
over one another. Friction acts in the direction opposite to that in which the object is moving. Drag is a
type of frictional force. When an object pushes through a liquid or a gas, that liquid or gas pushes back on
the object. This is called drag. Streamlining reduces drag.

Magnetism
Magnetism results from the attraction that metals have to one another. Iron, nickel and cobalt are
naturally magnetic. Magnets can make materials they attract magnetic. Magnets have two ends or poles.
One of these ends will be attracted to the North Pole of the Earth, while the opposite end of the magnet
is attracted to the South Pole. Electricity can be used to create temporary magnets.

Flight and ‘uplift’

Most things that can fly have wings. Wings are aerodynamically designed to cut through the air. The air
flowing around the wing creates an upward force called ‘lift’ which pushes the wing upwards. Aircraft
wings have an arched shape called an ‘aerofoil’. Air moving over the aerofoil creates uplift – the faster
the aircraft moves, the greater the uplift.

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 Push Me, Pull You

The faster moving air above the wing has a lower pressure than the slower moving air below the wing.
The higher air pressure forces the wing upwards. A kite works in a similar way to a wing, i.e. the air
underneath the kite pushes it upwards.
Aircraft speed along the runway until the lift they produce exceeds their weight and they can fly. Birds
flap their wings to produce lift; once up in the air they can glide by holding out their wings. When birds
fly level their weight equals the lift they have achieved. They descend to the ground when they slow and
their lift decreases.
Gliders don’t have engines so they are towed until they are travelling fast enough to lift off the ground.
Then the pilot flies the glider at a downward angle to produce enough speed for the wings to lift.
Floating and ‘upthrust’
When the ancient Greek scientist Archimedes got into a bath of water, it overflowed. It was this
experience that helped him to explain why some objects float and others sink. That is, if the weight of an
object is more than the upward force (‘upthrust’) of the water displaced then an object will sink. If it is
less, it will float.
Heavy rocks, stones and solid pieces of metal will sink but hollowed-out metal objects such as ships and
boats will float. Submarines have tanks that can be filled with water or air to vary their weight. When the
tanks are filled with water a submarine will dive and sink but when filled with air it will float back up to
the surface.

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 Push Me, Pull You

Forces vocabulary
Aerodynamics – how an object moves through the air
Buoyancy – a force that pushes an object up when it is in a liquid or a gas
Drag – a force that acts on an object as it travels through a liquid or a gas
Force – a push or a pull; when an object begins to move a force must have started it
Friction – a force that slows objects when they meet each other; a smooth surface has little friction
Gravity – a force that attracts all objects to each other; on Earth gravity pulls objects towards the ground
Lift – an upward force acting on an aircraft wing when it moves through the air
Magnetic force – a force that attracts or repels an object
Mass – on Earth, this is the weight of an object in grams, kilograms or tonnes; objects in space have mass
but are weightless
Upthrust – the force of water pushing up against floating objects
Weightlessness – objects are weightless in an atmosphere that has no gravity

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 Push Me, Pull You

Scientific Investigation
Scientific enquiry
Scientific enquiry is the process of questioning, investigating, interpreting results, drawing conclusions,
communicating findings and re flecting on what we have discovered. It is the way we discover how the
world works. Scientific enquiry is ‘doing’ science.
Children should be actively involved in decision making. In a science context this means having
opportunities to decide aspects of what they investigate and how to investigate.
Ways to investigate in science
There are many different types of scientific enquiry. Children need opportunities to explore and
familiarise themselves with this full range. Listed below are some common approaches to scientific
enquiry. Although not all of the methods are investigated during this unit, we have listed them here so
that you can get a big picture of the range of possible ways to ‘do’ enquiry science. The list is not
exhaustive.
1. Modelling
A model can be used to help children understand how a process works, or to explain ideas or a concept.
Some manufactured models can be useful, for example, using toy submarines you can demonstrate the
effects of air and water pressure or you could make paper aeroplanes to investigate what is meant by
‘uplift’. In this unit, we will be exploring how children’s toys use pushes and pulls.
2. Pattern seeking
This method involves observing and recording natural events, or carrying out experiments where the
variables can’t easily be controlled. In pattern seeking, it is still important to note and record variables.
The investigator needs to try to identify patterns that result from these variables. This method is well
suited to studies of physical processes. For example, in this unit the children might ask themselves the
following question: when a toy car moves down a ramp does it always travel in a straight line?
3. Research
Researching in the scientific sense, involves gathering and analysing other people’s opinions or scientific
findings in order to answer a question or to provide background information to help explain observed
events. In the primary school, this might mean searching in non-fiction books and using the internet.
4. Challenges
These sorts of investigations involve some kind of design task and/or a problem to solve. Challenges are
most often suited to the study of materials and physical processes. In such situations children apply their
scientific knowledge, skills and understanding to make (or design) something. Challenges can be very
effective and motivating assessment tasks. In this unit, the children will be faced with the challenge of
using water and air as forces to move objects.
5. Fair testing

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 Push Me, Pull You
Fair testing finds relationships between factors (variables). A single variable is changed – this is the
variable you are testing. All other variables are kept the same, which is why it is said to be fair. Any
differences are said to be the result of the changed variable. So, if you wanted to test which material
(metal, wood, plastic) has the least friction, the variable you should change is the type of material.
However, the way you carry out the test must be kept the same. Fair testing is particularly well suited to
investigations that record measurements. The fair test planning board (see below) will be useful for this
task.

6. Identifying and classifying

Identifying and classifying involves sorting objects or events into groups or categories, for example, you
can label forces as either pushes or pulls. In this unit, the children will be identifying different forces and
describing how they can move objects.
7. Observations
We can learn a great deal about the world around us from using our senses – through direct observation.
In this unit, the children will be observing the effects of forces and how we use forces in our everyday
lives.

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 Push Me, Pull You
Science Learning Goals
Children will:
1.01 Know that scientific enquiry involves asking questions, collecting evidence through observation
and measurement
1.02 Be able to pose simple scientific questions
1.03 Be able to identify ways of finding out about scientific issues
1.04 Be able, with help, to conduct simple investigations
1.05 Be able, with help, to gather information from simple texts
1.13 Know the names of the main external body parts of humans and animals
1.24 Know the names and properties of a range of materials
1.25 Know about the uses of different materials
1.33 Know how a range of forces, including pushes and pulls, can move object
1.38 Be able to describe the actions that result in changes in light, sound or movement

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 Push Me, Pull You
Science Task 1
Learning Goals
1.02 Be able to pose simple scientific questions
1.03 Be able to identify ways of finding out about scientific issues
1.04 Be able, with help, to conduct simple investigations
1.33 Know how a range of forces, including pushes and pulls, can move object
1.38 Be able to describe the actions that result in changes in light, sound or movement

This task uses the following scientific enquiry methods:

Observations
Research
Identifying and classifying

Research activity
Recall the knowledge harvest and the playground games the children suggested that used
push and pull movements. Look at the action pictures the children have drawn and the
‘push’ and ‘pull’ forces they labelled with arrows. Are the children’s hypotheses correct?
How could you test them?
You could play the games to find out!
Take the children to a playground or local park that has swings, slides, climbing frames,
seesaws, merry-go-rounds, etc. Alternatively, set up some small gym apparatus (including
benches, mats, space hoppers, skipping ropes and hoops) outside in the school grounds to
recreate some of the playground games they suggested in the knowledge harvest.
Divide the children into small groups. Ask each group to investigate one or two games to
see whether their predictions about the pushes and pulls involved were correct.
You could make short videos and take action photographs of the children as they move
about on the equipment.
Safety note: the children should be supervised at all times while on playground equipment.
The following animation will also be useful for your research:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/clips/z9nkqty - BBC Bitesize features this animation
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 Push Me, Pull You
which explores how pushes and pulls can make objects move, speed up, slow down or
change direction.

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 Push Me, Pull You
Recording activity
Back in the classroom, after the activity, play the videos to the class and discuss what forces
the children are using in each game or on each piece of equipment. Encourage the children
to narrate the videos by describing their actions in detail, for example:
On the slide
“I pulled my legs and feet up on to each step and pulled with my hands on the rails to get to
the top of the slide. Then I sat down and pushed with my hands, my feet and my whole body
so that I slid down.”
On the swing
“I pulled myself up onto the seat. My friend took hold of the seat and pulled it back, and then
she let go. I pushed with my feet in the air and then pulled back with my legs until I was
swinging really high. When I stopped pushing and pulling, the swing slowed down and I
stopped it by pushing my feet on the ground.”
Print out the action photos and help the children to identify pushes and pulls. Compare
these to the children’s action pictures from the knowledge harvest. Have they correctly
identified pushes and pulls? Talk about how a push is different from a pull. With marker
pens, show the children how to draw directional arrows to label the direction of the pushes
and pulls – the arrow should be drawn to illustrate the direction in which the force is acting.
You could create a pictorial display from this learning to add to the knowledge harvest and,
perhaps, make a video narrated by the children for the school website.

Personal Goals
Communication
Cooperation
Enquiry
Thoughtfulness

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 Push Me, Pull You
Science Task 2
Learning Goals
1.01 Know that scientific enquiry involves asking questions, collecting evidence through observation
and measurement
1.02 Be able to pose simple scientific questions
1.03 Be able to identify ways of finding out about scientific issues
1.04 Be able, with help, to conduct simple investigations
1.05 Be able, with help, to gather information from simple texts
1.33 Know how a range of forces, including pushes and pulls, can move object

This task uses the following scientific enquiry methods:

Observations
Research
Identifying and classifying

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 Push Me, Pull You
Research activity
In this next task, start by asking the children to suggest ways in which they could identify
and classify the everyday movements they all make.
Think about the ways in which we interact with familiar objects. Ask the children: how do
we use our body to move objects?
Focus on basic and everyday actions. We pull with our hands when we open a drawer or
push when we close it. We push down the keys when we type on a keyboard. We pull a
glass to our mouths when we drink. We push with our feet and legs when we kick a ball and
we pull a ball towards us when we catch it; etc.
Tell the children that every single movement we make uses a push and/or a pull force. Even
when we are sitting still at our desks, we are pushing into our chairs. When we are writing
we are pushing our pencils across the paper!
The children could carry out a ‘push/pull survey’ around the school. Divide the class into
small groups and allow them to observe teachers and children in other classes (for about
five minutes at a time) to see how many pushes and pulls they can identify. Try to observe
different activities, e.g. learning in lesson time, assembly, lunchtime, etc. In addition, you
could ask the children to cut out pictures of push and pull forces from old magazines and
label the forces at work as either a ‘push’ or a ‘pull’.
To find out more about push and pull forces the following books, video and websites
provide a useful reference point for teachers and children:
First Step: Push and Pull, by Robin Nelson, Lerner, 2008
Heave! Forces and How They Move Things, by Peter Riley, Franklin Watts, 2012
youtube.com/watch?v=FOcY37oGhj8 – YouTube has this animated music video ‘A Push
or a Pull’ from Simplest Science.
(To watch a YouTube video in safe mode, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the ‘safety’ tab which brings up the
‘Safety mode’ information. Under this section, select the ‘on’ option, then click ‘save’)

http://www.education.abc.net.au/res/i/L700/index.html – ABC Education website

features this game which teaches children about push and pull forces by requiring them
to move a series of different animals from a boat to their new home in a zoo. (Note: this
resource requires Flash)
resources.hwb.wales.gov.uk/VTC/2010-11/science/science3-forces/eng/startHere.html
– NFGL website has an interactive activity for children that allows them to draw push
and pull forces using a pen tool. Teachers will need to select the red introduction level
(screen 2 of 13). (Note: this resource requires Flash)

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 Push Me, Pull You
Recording activity
Record the results of your school survey as a pictorial display of pushes and pulls. You could
also add your annotated magazine photographs. Then if you place the display in a common
area of the school (e.g. the hall) you could invite children from other classes (especially
those who are also working on the Forces units) to add their ideas to it.

Personal Goals
Communication
Cooperation
Enquiry
Thoughtfulness

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 Push Me, Pull You
Science Task 3
Learning Goals
1.02 Be able to pose simple scientific questions
1.03 Be able to identify ways of finding out about scientific issues
1.04 Be able, with help, to conduct simple investigations
1.33 Know how a range of forces, including pushes and pulls, can move object
1.38 Be able to describe the actions that result in changes in light, sound or movement

This task uses the following scientific enquiry methods:

Modelling
Research
Fair testing
Pattern seeking

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 Push Me, Pull You
Research activity
Through our investigations into playground games we have seen how push and pull forces
create movement. Now let’s explore how we can change movement. How can we speed it
up, slow it down, or change its direction? We are going to find out about the actions that
result in changes in movement.
Make a small slide or ramp with a pile of books and a tray. Invite the children to push toy
cars and trucks down the ramp. Make sure there is nothing that will impede the movement
of the toy.
In small groups, ask the children to consider ways in which they could:
Slow down/speed up the moving toy
Make the moving toy travel further
Alter the direction of the moving toy
As much as possible, you should encourage the children to explore and test their own ideas.
However, if you need to offer a little more guidance here are some ideas the children could
investigate:
Use different amounts of force to push the toy and observe how this affects the toy’s
speed.
Change the slope of the ramp – if you make it steeper does the toy travel faster and
further? Measure the distance the toy travels and the height of the ramp. Is there a
connection or relationship?
Place the ramp on a smoother/rougher surface, or change the surface material of the
ramp itself – what difference does this make and why?
What happens if you place an obstacle at the foot of the ramp? Can the children predict
which way the toy will turn as a result?
Can the children find a way of stopping the car by using an obstacle? (E.g. They could
make an obstacle from a piece of modelling clay.)
As they investigate the different variables, encourage the children to narrate their actions.
This will give you the opportunity to revise and reinforce accurate vocabulary and
hypotheses, and further assess the children’s scienti c understanding. Encourage older/more
able children in the age group to use the fair test planning board. The following website is
also useful for your research:
http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/gamesactivities/forcesinaction.html - Science Games for
Kids website has this science activity that allows children to explore forces and
movement using animated trucks, ramps, weights and parachutes. (Note: this resource
requires Flash)

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 Push Me, Pull You
Recording activity
The children could draw simple pictures to record this research. Show the children how to
label the relevant forces (pushes or pulls) with directional arrows.
Older children in the age group could draw a line graph or a bar chart to record the effects
of changing the slope of the ramp.
Height of ramp in centimetres (y axis)
Distance travelled in centimetres (x axis)
Travelling toy investigation

What effect did changing the surface of the ramp or the surface in front of the ramp have
on the speed or the distance travelled? Why? The children could measure and compare
their results using tables and graphs. Encourage the children to explain any differences they
found.
How did the children alter the direction or stop the moving toy? Did they use an obstacle to
do this? The children could draw annotated diagrams to record this part of the investigation.

Extension activity
As an extension activity for older or more able children, you could relate what the children
have learned to the real world, e.g. how do real cars and trucks move? What are the forces
acting on them? They have engines to push and pull them along roads and up hills. They use
the accelerator to speed them up and brakes to slow them down. Sometimes, if they hit
an obstacle in the road, this can send them in a different direction. The children could draw
diagrams to illustrate the similarities and differences between the forces acting on the cars
in their research investigation (above) and the forces acting on real cars.

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 Push Me, Pull You
Personal Goals
Adaptability
Communication
Cooperation
Enquiry
Thoughtfulness

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 Push Me, Pull You
Science Task 4
Learning Goals
1.01 Know that scientific enquiry involves asking questions, collecting evidence through observation
and measurement
1.02 Be able to pose simple scientific questions
1.03 Be able to identify ways of finding out about scientific issues
1.04 Be able, with help, to conduct simple investigations
1.13 Know the names of the main external body parts of humans and animals
1.33 Know how a range of forces, including pushes and pulls, can move object
1.38 Be able to describe the actions that result in changes in light, sound or movement

This task uses the following scientific enquiry methods:

Research
Fair testing
Observations

Research activity
In this next task, we are going to name and identify the parts of our body that help us to
move. Then we will investigate how the force of the air around us pushes against our body.
Refer back to the tug-of-war game at the entry point. Discuss which parts of your body you
used in the game. As well as your arms and legs, what other parts of your body were
working hard to give you strength to pull the rope, e.g. your heart, lungs and other muscles?
Feel the muscles in your arms – these muscles produce a force that allows you to pull and
push things. To lift big weights or to play tug-of-war you need strong arm muscles.
What muscles do you use when you walk or run? When you are walking or running you are
using your leg muscles to push you forwards. What happens to your body when you run a
long distance? If you run a long distance you can feel your leg muscles ache, you can feel
your heart beating faster and your lungs filling with air.
Sometimes, on a very windy day, it can be harder to run or walk because you are being
pushed back by the wind. Have you ever felt yourself being pushed by the wind?

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 Push Me, Pull You

Show the children a video clip from a film or cartoon of someone struggling to move against
the wind.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx8349vSJ7w – YouTube has this video featuring
Pingu’s Windy Day.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=5BHoDW9f7vY – YouTube has this video clip of the
flying nannies scene from Mary Poppins.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyHdQlK5zOA – YouTube has this video from
HooplaKidz TV featuring Noksu trying to fly his kite on a windy day.
(To watch a YouTube video in safe mode, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the ‘safety’ tab which brings up the
‘Safety mode’ information. Under this section, select the ‘on’ option, then click ‘save’)

The children could try the following investigation to feel the effects of air resistance:
In an outdoor space, such as the school playground, ask the children in turn to run forwards
in a straight line, while holding a large piece of cardboard out in front of their chest. Try
card in different sizes, e.g. 20 x 20 cm and 60 x 60 cm. What do they notice? Can they
explain any differences? Introduce the children to the words ‘air resistance’ and discuss
what this means.

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 Push Me, Pull You
Recording activity
Ask the children to draw a series of pictures (like a cartoon) to explain their investigation.
They should label the forces that are at work, e.g. their body pushing forwards and the air
around them pushing back (or resisting them). Ask them, was it easier or more difficult to
run with the larger-sized card? Why? What does ‘air resistance’ do?
In small groups or as a class, the children should then be able to write a few sentences to
explain what they have discovered and what conclusions they can draw from this
investigation. Display the children’s cartoons, discoveries and conclusions within the
knowledge harvest so that the children can refer back to this learning as they progress
through the tasks.
Mathematics link: using this activity as a stimulus, you can reinforce the children’s counting
and measuring skills as they cut out the card they are going to need for this investigation.

Personal Goals
Communication
Cooperation
Enquiry
Thoughtfulness

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 Push Me, Pull You
Science Task 5
Learning Goals
1.01 Know that scientific enquiry involves asking questions, collecting evidence through observation
and measurement
1.02 Be able to pose simple scientific questions
1.03 Be able to identify ways of finding out about scientific issues
1.04 Be able, with help, to conduct simple investigations
1.33 Know how a range of forces, including pushes and pulls, can move object
1.38 Be able to describe the actions that result in changes in light, sound or movement

This task uses the following scientific enquiry methods:

Observations
Research
Fair testing
Challenges
Pattern seeking

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 Push Me, Pull You
Research activity
In the last task, we discovered that the air around us was also a force that could push against
us. Is water a force too? Can water push and pull?
Ask the children for their suggestions. Think about the movement of ocean waves – can
they push and pull?
Refer back to the slide in the children’s playground (Task 1). Ask the class: has anyone ever
been on a water slide or water chute? Is a water slide faster than a normal playground slide?
Why? Discuss how the slides are different.
Your discussion could lead you to ask a further question from the class, ask them: can we
use water as a force to help us move things?
The children could try different experiments using jets of water from watering cans or hose
pipes to move objects (e.g. different kinds of balls: plastic balls, golf balls, tennis balls). Do
this outdoors where is lots of space! Buckets and long lengths of large plastic piping or
tubing would also be useful for this activity. Find out what is the heaviest object you can
move using a jet of water from a hose pipe. What happens if you change the direction of the
force? The object will move in a different direction. Why? Refer back to the pictorial display
in the knowledge harvest: look at the direction of the force arrows and the direction of
travel. Is there a pattern?

Recording activity
Make video recordings of the children’s investigations to show how water can be used as a
force to move objects. Play back the recordings and discuss your findings as a class.
The children could add their findings and conclusion to the knowledge harvest.

Personal Goals
Adaptability
Communication
Cooperation
Enquiry
Thoughtfulness

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 Push Me, Pull You
Science Task 6
Learning Goals
1.02 Be able to pose simple scientific questions
1.03 Be able to identify ways of finding out about scientific issues
1.04 Be able, with help, to conduct simple investigations
1.33 Know how a range of forces, including pushes and pulls, can move object
1.38 Be able to describe the actions that result in changes in light, sound or movement

This task uses the following scientific enquiry methods:

Observations
Research
Challenges
Modelling

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 Push Me, Pull You
Research activity
We’ve seen that water can be used to push things. Can air push things too? Invite the
children to think of ways of exploring this question for themselves. Encourage them to plan
their own investigations. What equipment would they need?
Provide the children with some basic resources, e.g. drinking straws and cardboard tubes (to
blow down), a battery-operated hand fan, paper (to make paper fans), etc.
Here are some ideas they could try:
Blowing objects across the desk – how far can they move them? Does a greater
distance require a greater force?
Blowing a floating object across a bowl of water – how can they control the direction of
the movement?
Try moving objects of different weights – does a heavier object require a greater force
to move it?
Show video clips of toy sailing boats or kites being pushed by the wind. Refer back to Task 3
(when you ran with cardboard held in front of you). Could you feel the force of the air
pushing against you? Through direct observation and their own investigations, the children
will be able to see that air is a force that can push things.
Can air also be used to pull things? Discuss with the class how they could test this.
Here are some ideas they could try:
Sucking air through plastic straws to pick up (pull) pieces of paper from the desk.
Using a hand vacuum cleaner to suck up debris from the classroom carpet!

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 Push Me, Pull You
Recording activity
Try to relate what you have learned to examples taken from the children’s everyday
experiences as much as possible, e.g. refer back to the sailing boats or kites being pushed by
the wind. Look out of the classroom window, are the trees being pushed by the wind?
Sometimes the force of the wind is so strong that it can uproot trees or pull tiles from
rooftops.
The children could add their findings and conclusions to the knowledge harvest.

Extension activity
Invite the children to bring in kites from home (or you could make your own kites in
Technology) for a kite-flying competition. Whose kite will stay up in the air for the longest
amount of time? Will the largest kites (measure the surface area) stay up the longest? The
children should make predictions and then test them out.
Geography link: fast-moving air can be very destructive and dangerous, e.g. tornadoes,
typhoons and wind storms. Are these experienced in the host or home country? Older
children in the age group could find out how and why they are formed.

Personal Goals
Adaptability
Communication
Cooperation
Enquiry
Thoughtfulness

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 Push Me, Pull You
Science Extension Task
Learning Goals
1.02 Be able to pose simple scientific questions
1.03 Be able to identify ways of finding out about scientific issues
1.04 Be able, with help, to conduct simple investigations
1.05 Be able, with help, to gather information from simple texts
1.24 Know the names and properties of a range of materials
1.25 Know about the uses of different materials
1.33 Know how a range of forces, including pushes and pulls, can move object

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 Push Me, Pull You
Extension activity
So far in this unit, we’ve looked at push and pull forces, and we’ve also looked at forces in
action including air and water as forces. Now, if you wish, you could extend the topic by
investigating magnetic force.
You could do this by finding out which objects in the classroom are pulled (attracted) by a
magnet. Sort and classify different materials into two groups: those that are pulled by a
magnet and those that are not pulled by a magnet.
Pose the question: are all metals magnetic? Ask the children to make predictions first and
then to test their predictions.
Older or more able children could then go on to investigate how two magnets can pull
(attract) and push (repel) each other. Challenge the children to find out how the ends (poles)
of the bar magnet are different. What are the ends called? When you have two magnets
which ends will pull towards each other?
This research will link to the children’s learning about materials in other IPC units. The
following websites will provide a useful starting point:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DR9w4koW2EA - YouTube hosts this video by
Smart Learning For All which uses an animation to explain the concept of magnetism.
bbc.co.uk/education/clips/zvbygk7 – BBC Bitesize website has this science clip
animation showing two mice who cleverly use fridge magnets to reach some cheese
and then escape from a cat.
first4magnets.com/fun-magnet-facts-for-kids-i77 – First4Magnets website has a magnet
facts page for teachers that includes links to other information and products using
magnetism.
The children could record their findings in a table with three columns. In the first column,
they could write their predictions; in the second and third columns they could enter their
findings under two headings: magnetic objects and non-magnetic objects.
Now look for patterns in the results. Ask the children:
Are all magnetic materials made of metal?
Are all metals magnetic? If not, can the children find out why?
The children who were investigating the attraction between two magnets should recognise
a pattern in their findings, i.e. ‘like poles repel’ (push away) and ‘unlike poles attract’ (pull).
They should be able to use the words ‘north pole’ and ‘south pole’ when referring to the
ends of a bar magnet.
Think about the magnets you can find in the home or in school, e.g. fridge magnets,
magnetic door seals, etc. How do they work? Do they push or pull?
The children could draw diagrams and pictures of the different uses of magnets that they
discover.
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 Push Me, Pull You
Personal Goals
Communication
Cooperation
Enquiry
Thoughtfulness

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 Push Me, Pull You
Technology Learning Goals
Children will:
1.01 Know that products in everyday use have an effect on people's lives
1.02 Be able to plan what they are going to make
1.03 Be able to describe their plans in pictures and words
1.04 Be able to use simple tools and materials to make products
1.05 Be able to choose appropriate tools and materials for their tasks
1.06 Be able to comment on their own plans and products and suggest areas of improvement

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 Push Me, Pull You
Technology Task
Learning Goals
1.01 Know that products in everyday use have an effect on people's lives
1.02 Be able to plan what they are going to make
1.03 Be able to describe their plans in pictures and words
1.04 Be able to use simple tools and materials to make products
1.05 Be able to choose appropriate tools and materials for their tasks
1.06 Be able to comment on their own plans and products and suggest areas of improvement

Research activity
Recall what the children have learned about pushes and pulls so far in this unit. Tell the
children they are now going to use their knowledge of push and pull forces to invent an
exciting new toy or game for children of their age to enjoy. One thing they have to
remember is that this game is going to use push and pull movements. Tell them they are
going to demonstrate their new game at the exit point for their parents and other children
in the school.
Start by discussing some examples that the children will already be familiar with, e.g.
skittles, marbles, pool, table hockey or football (Subbuteo), pinball, crazy-golf, etc. Invite the
children to tell each other how each of these games is played and how it uses push and pull
forces – you could also include magnetic toys, if you wish.
In pool, for example, we pull the cue back and then push it forwards to hit the ball into the
net. In skittles or bowling, we pull the ball back and then push it forwards to knock down
(push) the skittles. Do the children have any push and pull games at home? Invite the
children to tell you how they work and to bring them in to school, if possible.
Encourage the children to work individually, or in pairs, to draw a design for their own push
and pull toy. Ask them to label their design with the words ‘push’ and ‘pull’ clearly marked.
They should also make a list of the tools and materials they are going to need in order to
make their product.
When the designs are complete, the children could comment and vote on which designs
they think work the best and then together as a class you could turn these designs into
actual products for display at the exit point activity.

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 Push Me, Pull You
Recording activity
Ask the children if they think they have met the required design criteria for this task. Have
they identified any problems or areas where they can make enhancements and
improvements?
Encourage the children to ask other classes and their teachers to test out their products. The
children should use the feedback given from the testing to make any final changes before
their products are displayed at the exit point activity.
Display the children’s design plans, prototypes and actual products. Then invite the parents
to play your newly-invented games!

Personal Goals
Communication
Cooperation
Enquiry
Resilience
Thoughtfulness

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 Push Me, Pull You
International Learning Goals
Children will:
1.01 Know that children within the class and school have different home countries
1.02 Know the names and approximate locations of the home countries of children within the class
(and/or school)
1.03 Know about some of the similarities and differences between the lives of children in the
different home countries and in the host country
1.05 Be able to work with each other where appropriate

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 Push Me, Pull You
International Task
Learning Goals
1.01 Know that children within the class and school have different home countries
1.02 Know the names and approximate locations of the home countries of children within the class
(and/or school)
1.03 Know about some of the similarities and differences between the lives of children in the
different home countries and in the host country
1.05 Be able to work with each other where appropriate

Research activity
Recall the technology task and previous science tasks when you researched games involving
pushes and pulls. Help the children to find out about popular playground games that
children play in the countries they are familiar with, particularly in the host and home
countries. Do these games involve push and pull forces? Can the children correctly identify
these forces? Refer back to your knowledge harvest and your displays.
Encourage the children to share their experiences with the class. Do children all over the
world play similar games? Do any of the children in your class know of any different games?
You could also use books and the internet for your research.
The following website provides a useful starting point:
topics-mag.com/edition11/games-section.htm – Topics Online website has this feature
for teacher research about traditional games from around the world.
YouTube has a large selection of videos from around the world of children playing
playground games. Show some relevant examples of these to your class. Can the children
spot push and pull forces?
Teacher’s note: all movement involves push and pull forces. This means that all the games
the children can think of from around the world will use push and pull forces.

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 Push Me, Pull You
Recording activity
Draw pictures of some of these games or source pictures from the internet. Do check
copyright first before photocopying images from books or printing them from the internet.
Make a collage display or patchwork of pictures based on playground games from around
the world. You could stick them on to a map of the world. Encourage older children in the
age group to write about how the games are played. Try some of them out with the class!

Personal Goals
Communication
Cooperation
Enquiry
Thoughtfulness

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 Push Me, Pull You
International Extension Task
Learning Goals
1.03 Know about some of the similarities and differences between the lives of children in the
different home countries and in the host country
1.05 Be able to work with each other where appropriate

Extension activity
Refer back to the previous task and the toys you made and learned from in the science
tasks.
Pose the question to the class: are there children in the world who don’t have toys? If so,
why? Consider the possible reasons for this. Toys cost money – where does money come
from? (Jobs and selling things.) If people don’t have a job and don’t have anything to sell
then they won’t have money for toys.
Encourage the children to try to empathise with families in the host and/or home country,
and in other parts of the world who struggle to live with little money. Imagine what it might
be like to have no toys.
Ask the children to think about their own toys – do they have too many? More than they
ever get to play with? If they have too many toys and other children have no toys is there
something we can do to make it fair?
Invite ideas from the class. For example, the children could donate their unwanted toys to a
charity that supports disadvantaged children, such as Save the Children or Oxfam, or another
preferred charity.
Try to get across the idea that by way of this small action they are helping to make the
world a fairer place.

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 Push Me, Pull You
Personal Goals
Adaptability
Communication
Cooperation
Enquiry
Morality
Thoughtfulness

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 Push Me, Pull You
The Exit Point
Invite the parents to a whole-school show and tell. You are going to show and tell the parents about the
discoveries you have made while researching forces. Over the three mileposts the children have been
learning about:
How forces push and pull us all together
How gravity and friction shape our lives
How forces are everywhere on our planet and in the wider Universe
Show the parents the results of the children’s science investigations and tell them how you approached
this fascinating topic with academic rigour, just like real scientists.
Milepost 1 children could show the parents the ‘push and pull’ toys they made in Technology. The
children could explain how they work while the parents test them out.
Milepost 2 children could show their marble-run games and tell the parents about the forces acting on
the marbles, i.e. gravity and friction. They could demonstrate their ‘falling and flying objects’
investigation.
Milepost 3 children could explain how they applied what they know about air resistance to design a
flying paper plane and about water resistance to design a sailing boat.
The different mileposts could then present what they have learned about being global citizens and caring
individuals through their international research tasks.
Tell the parents you have been learning about one of the most important topics in science because if we
can understand how forces work then we will have a better understanding of how everything else in the
world works!
The IPC community would love to see examples of your learning, in any subject, at any stage in the
learning process. If you have any pictures or stories you would like to share please visit our Facebook
page at facebook.com/InternationalPrimaryCurriculum, tweet @The_IPC or email
stories@greatlearning.com.

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 Push Me, Pull You
Resources
For this unit, you will need some, but not necessarily all, of the following:

Equipment
Ropes for tug-of-war
Playground equipment, e.g. swings, slides, seesaws, climbing frame
Toy cars or trucks
String
Ramp made from a pile of books and a tray
Measuring equipment, e.g. rulers, tape measures
Rope for tug-of-war game
Cardboard
For the water investigation: a variety of balls (e.g. plastic, tennis, golf, ping-pong),
buckets, hosepipe, water
Drinking straws
Vacuum cleaner
Kite
Sailing boat
Magnets
Magnetic and non-magnetic objects
Paper, cardboard
Sticky tape
Scissors
For Technology: a variety of children’s games (e.g. table football, pool, pinball)
Video camera
Digital camera

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 Push Me, Pull You
Links
https://www.education.abc.net.au/home#!/media/1390665/pushing-and-pulling
ABC Education website features this game which teaches children about push and pull
forces by requiring them to move a series of different animals from a boat to their new
home in a zoo.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/clips/z9nkqty
BBC Bitesize features this animation which explores how pushes and pulls can make objects
move, speed up, slow down or change direction.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/clips/zvbygk7
BBC Bitesize website has this science clip animation showing two mice who cleverly use
fridge magnets to reach some cheese and then escape from a cat.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/5_6/pushes_pulls_fs.shtml
BBC schools website has interactive games designed to teach children about pushes and
pulls.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/6_7/forces_movement_ fs.shtml
BBC Schools website has this science activity that allows children to explore forces and
movement using animated trucks and ramps
http://www.science.dke-encyc.com
Dorling Kindersley Science Encyclopedia website has a useful search facility (see book
details below).
http://www.first4magnets.com/fun-magnet-facts-for-kids-243-c.asp
First4Magnets website has a magnet facts page for teachers that includes links to other
information and products using magnetism.
http://resources.hwb.wales.gov.uk/VTC/2010-11/science/science3-
forces/eng/startHere.html
NGFL website has an interactive activity for children that allows them to draw push and pull
forces using a pen tool. Teachers will need to select the red introduction level (screen 2 of
13).
http://scienceforkids.kidipede.com/physics//electricity/doing/magnet.htm
Science for Kids website explains to teachers how you can see magnets pushing and pulling
each other using Brio trains.
http://www.topics-mag.com/edition11/games-section.htm
Topics Online website has this feature for teacher research about traditional games from
around the world.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOcY37oGhj8
YouTube has this animated music video ‘A push or a pull’ from Simplest Science.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1j21BcJyv7s
YouTube has this video featuring Pingu’s Windy Day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiVbFxfhW-o
YouTube has this video from HooplaKidz TV featuring Noksu trying to fly his kite on a windy
day.
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http://YouTube has this animated music video ‘A push or a pull’ from Simplest Science.
YouTube has this video of the world’s strongest man (2008) pulling a Boeing 767.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BHoDW9f7vY
YouTube has this video-clip of the flying nannies scene from Mary Poppins.

Books
Can You Feel the Force? by Richard Hammond, Dorling Kindersley, 2006
First Step: Push and Pull, by Robin Nelson, Lerner, 2008
First Step: Gravity, by Robin Nelson, Lerner, 2008
Heave! Forces and How They Move Things, by Peter Riley, Franklin Watts, 2012
Friction and Forces, by Peter Riley, Franklin Watts, 2006
e.encyclopedia Science, Dorling Kindersley, 2004
Young Oxford Encyclopedia of Science, Consultant editor Professor Richard Dawkins, edited
by Robin Kerrod, Oxford University Press, 2001
Energy, Forces and Motion, Internet-linked, by Alastair Smith, Usborne, 2001
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