Outdoor forces activities for KS2

KS2 current curriculum Forces and motion 2. Pupils should be taught: Types of force a. about the forces of attraction and repulsion between magnets, and about the forces of attraction between magnets and magnetic materials – more an indoor activity b. that objects are pulled downwards because of the gravitational attraction between them and the Earth c. about friction, including air resistance, as a force that slows moving objects and may prevent objects from starting to move d. that when objects [for example, a spring, a table] are pushed or pulled, an opposing pull or push can be felt e. how to measure forces and identify the direction in which they act.

KS2 draft curriculum (Year 3/4) Forces and magnets Pupils should be taught to: notice that some forces need contact between two objects and some forces act at a distance observe how magnets attract or repel each other and attract some materials and not others compare and group together a variety of everyday materials on the basis of whether they are attracted to a magnet, and identify some magnetic materials. Indoor activities probably.

Notes and guidance Forces and magnets Pupils should observe that magnetic forces can be transmitted without direct contact, unlike most forces, where direct contact is necessary (for example, opening a door, pushing a swing). Note: Pupils do not need to be introduced to ‘like’ and ‘unlike’ magnetic poles until Year 5. Pupils might work scientifically by: investigating the strengths of different magnets and finding a fair way to compare them; sorting materials into those that are magnetic and those that are not.

KS2 draft curriculum (Year 5/6) Magnetism Pupils should be taught to: describe magnets as having two poles predict whether two magnets will attract or repel each other, depending on which poles are facing. I think this can be covered in Year 3/4 when exploring magnets.

Notes and guidance Magnetism Pupils should be introduced to a predictive model for the way magnets behave. They should explore the behaviour and everyday uses of different magnets (for example, bar, ring, button and horseshoe) and find out about how the Earth acts as a magnet. Pupils might work scientifically by: looking for patterns in the way that magnets behave in relation to each other and what might affect this, such as the strength of the magnet or which pole faces another; identifying how these properties make magnets useful in everyday items and suggesting creative uses for different magnets. They might explore what happens if magnets are hung from threads or floated on water and relate this to the development and use of compasses for navigation.

Magnets Provide children with a wide range of magnets to explore (bar, horseshoe, ring, wand)

What can magnets do? Investigate – use only one magnet How many paper clips your magnet hold in a chain? How many pieces of paper can your magnet hold on a magnetic board? What is the distance between your magnet and the table when a paper clip jumps up? What is the distance between your magnet and the paper clip when it slides along the table? What is the heaviest object your magnet can pick up? Use a forcemeter to measure the attractive force of your magnet.

Testing the strength of magnets Choose one way from the previous activity to test the strength of different magnets

KS2 draft curriculum (Year 5/6) Forces Pupils should be taught to: explain that unsupported objects fall towards the Earth because of the force of gravity acting between the Earth and the falling object identify the effect of drag forces, such as air resistance, water resistance and friction, that act between moving surfaces describe, in terms of drag forces, why moving objects that are not driven tend to slow down understand that force and motion can be transferred through mechanical devices such as gears, pulleys, levers and springs.

Notes and guidance Forces Pupils should explore falling objects and the effects of air resistance. They should experience forces that make things begin to move, get faster or slow down. Pupils should explore the effects of friction on movement and find out how it slows or stops moving objects, for example by observing the effects of a brake on a bicycle wheel. They should explore the effects of air resistance by observing how different objects such as parachutes and sycamore seeds fall. Pupils should explore the effects of levers, pulleys and simple machines on movement. Pupils might find out how scientists such as Galileo and Isaac Newton helped to develop the theory of gravitation. Pupils might work scientifically by: designing and making a variety of parachutes and carrying out fair tests to determine which designs are the most effective. They might explore resistance in water by making and testing boats of different shapes. They might design and make a simple lever and explore its effects.

Air resistance, gravity Parachutes You just need some squares of plastic, attach string to each corner. Tie the other ends together and add a blob of blue tac as the object.

Air pressure, air resistance and friction Balloon cars http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/bloodhound-experiments-balloon-cars/13378.html Video Register for the bloodhound challenge http://www.bloodhoundssc.com/education You can buy them ready made but it’s better to make your own http://www.tts-group.co.uk/shops/tts/Products/PD1726486/Balloon-Cars/

Air pressure, air resistance and friction Balloon rockets http://www.sciencebob.com/experiments/balloonrocket.php

Water rockets

Stomp rockets

Air resistance, gravity Spinners

Paper aeroplanes Gallery of planes to print and fold Air resistance, gravity Paper aeroplanes Gallery of planes to print and fold Good for testing on a number of challenges http://howthingsfly.si.edu/activities/paper-airplane/gallery

Air resistance, gravity, friction Straw rockets Very simple to demonstrate with a MacDonalds straw and packet. The kids will all have done this. Then just try different designs http://www.planet-science.com/categories/experiments/technology/2011/11/make-a-straw-rocket.aspx

Air resistance, gravity Hoop glider

Film cannister rockets Air pressure, gravity Film cannister rockets http://www.sciencebob.com/experiments/filmrocket.php You can buy suitable pots from TTS http://www.tts-group.co.uk/shops/tts/Products/PD1726848/Small-Pots/

Sailing boats in gutters Air resistance Sailing boats in gutters Investigate different shape sails Use a fan to blow the boat along Possible methods How close does the fan need to be for the boat to move? How far does the boat move keeping the fan in the same place

Water resistance, gravity Blu tac in cylinders How can you make the blu tac go slowly to the bottom? How can you make the blu tac go as fast as possible to the bottom? How can you make it reach the bottom in exactly 3 seconds?

Sailing boats in gutters Water resistance Sailing boats in gutters Change the shape of the boat to investigate water resistance. The boat can be moved using a fan or attaching a weight on a string that hangs over the end of the gutter and uses gravity to pull the boat. How long does the boat take to go a fixed distance

Catapults Using a ruler to launch marshmallows

Rubber band rollers http://www.nationalstemcentre.org.uk/dl/3eb735693fb62e718203bf3ff22c95f9356480ee/22806-07_elasticbandroller.pdf http://resources.edb.gov.hk/~s1sci/R_S1Science/sp/en/syllabus/unit4/act-tt.htm

Rubber band cars You can make the car yourself from scratch http://www.hometrainingtools.com/rubberband-car-project/a/1781/ Use a kit to make the basic car and then power it with a rubber band http://technicallylearning.org/ActivityGuides/rubber_band_race_car_design.pdf Buy a rubber band car kit

Springs Pop up spring toys Bagatelle games Jack in a box Can make paper springs for animating books http://bookzoompa.wordpress.com/2010/03/14/how-to-make-a-paper-spring/

Fun stuff The following are not strictly related to the national curriculum

Water pistols Change angle and measure distance

Swinging bucket http://sciencenetlinks.com/media/filer/2011/09/27/tf-snl-fun-with-forces.pdf

Yoyos Talk about how they work http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/yo-yo1.htm Swing them as a pendulum Investigate if you get better with practice

Steve Spangler http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/experiments/12 Lots of good demonstrations