What do we know about forces?

In which direction did the toy person fall? Why did this happen? What do you think gravity is? Can you agree on an idea or ‘rule’ about what happens to an object when you drop it? Would your rule work in Australia? 1. Exploration

What happens when your partner pushes against your hand? What happens if you do nothing in return? What happens if you push back? What do you need to do to keep your two hands in the same place? What can you say about the forces when your hands stay in the same place? What difference does it make if you change how hard you push? 2. Hands together

3. Can I move the wall? What will happen to the wall when you push it? Why does it stay where it is and not fall down? Can you explain this using what you know about balanced forces? How can thinking about what happened with your hands help you?

4. Staying still What forces do you think keep the book on the table? Where does the push up on the book come from? Why is the spring/sponge squashed? What will happen to it if we take the book off? What are your groups ideas about explaining forces on stationary objects? What evidence do you have to support your ideas?

5. Rocket power When the rocket is moving in space, what happens if the engine is turned off? What happens if it stays on? How does the rocket stop? What does this tell you about the forces on the rocket? When are the forces balanced? Can you describe when the rocket is moving and has balanced forces? Can you describe when the rocket is moving and the forces are not balanced?

6. Back to the start and future learning How have your ideas changed today? What progress have you made with your understanding of balanced forces? What arguments have you used to explain your point of view or idea? What other evidence would help you understand better?