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If you haven’t, they’re a series of investigations that are designed for schools to take part in. They’re great for helping your students get more involved with science and to help students learn about scientific concepts in a fun way.
So far, three investigations have already taken place and have been based on the subjects of taste, water and time. The fourth investigation on trees has started and will end on 4th June, and next week, the fifth investigation begins and it’s all about forces. The BBC has lots of lesson materials and resources for students on forces to help you, but we’ve been on the hunt for some EducationCity resources for Key Stage 1 and 2 on the theme, that you can use together with the BBC’s resources.
What’s more, they’re really easy to find too – to access them, all you need to do is use Search on EducationCity. Here are our recommendations…
Key Stage 1
Learn Screens
Animal Trainer – Understanding pushing and pulling as forces that move things.
- England: F2
- Scotland: Early ***
- Wales: Year 1
- N. Ireland: P2
Activities
Animal Trainer – Decide whether an object is being pushed or pulled.
- England: F2
- Scotland: Early ***
- Wales: Year 1
- N. Ireland: P2
Will It Bend? – Decide whether an object have been squashed, bent, twisted or stretched, and then which object it is easier to do these actions to.
- England: Year 2
- Scotland: First *
- Wales: Year 2
- N. Ireland: P3
ThinkIts
Forces that can change things – What are the following examples of? Bending, stretching, twisting, squashing and pushing.
- England: Year 2
- Scotland: First *
- Wales: Year 2
- N. Ireland: P3
Key Stage 2
Learn Screens
Speed Bumps Game – Understand that different surfaces have different friction in the context of a toy car going up and down hills.
- England: Year 3 & 5
- Scotland: Second *
- Wales: Year 4
- N. Ireland: P6
Box Carts – Setting up a fair and consistent experiment to test friction on different surfaces.
- England: Year 3 & 5
- Scotland: Second *
- Wales: Year 4
- N. Ireland: P6
Gear oh Gear – Explore how gears allow a smaller force to have a greater effect.
- England: Year 5
- Scotland: Second **
- Wales: Year 5
- N. Ireland: P6
Oh, Pulleys – Explore how pulleys allow a smaller force to have a greater effect.
- England: Year 5
- Scotland: Second *
- Wales: Year 5
- N. Ireland: P6
Lever Forever – Explore how levers allow a smaller force to have a greater effect.
- England: Year 5
- Scotland: Second **
- Wales: Year 5
- N. Ireland: P6
Activities
Speed Bumps Game – Explore friction by changing a track’s surface materials and the effect such surfaces have on a car’s motion and ability to climb hills.
- England: Year 3 & 5
- Scotland: Second *
- Wales: Year 4
- N. Ireland: P6
Box Carts – To investigate which surface will slow an object down the most.
- England: Year 3 & 5
- Scotland: Second *
- Wales: Year 4
- N. Ireland: P6
Vive La Resistance – Understanding friction force including air resistance and water resistance.
- England: Year 3 & 5
- Scotland: Second *
- Wales: Year 4
- N. Ireland: P6
On the Move – Students read the scale on a force meter to measure the weight of objects in Newtons.
- England: Year 5
- Scotland: Second *
- Wales: Year 4
- N. Ireland: P6
Topic Tools
Force Meter – Using a force meter to measure force in Newtons.
- England: Year 5
- Scotland: First ***-Second ***
- Wales: Years 4-6
- N. Ireland: P5-P7
Friction Force Meter – Investigate the force required to pull an object over a surface material.
- England: Year 3 & 5
- Scotland: First *** & Second **
- Wales: Years 5-7
- N. Ireland: P4
Underwater Force Meter – Investigate the force of ‘up-thrust’ by measuring forces underwater.
- England: Year 5
- Scotland: Second **-Second ***
- Wales: Year 6
- N. Ireland: P4, P6 & P7
Don’t forget to take a look at our video which features some of the content above to see it for yourself!
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