Make it move!
View Sequence overviewStudents will:
- predict what objects might move and how they will move (including cause and/or style of movement).
- identify objects that move.
- observe and describe causes and ways of moving.
Students will represent their understanding as they:
- identify the broad purposes and features of a data table.
- ask questions and make predictions.
- record ideas in a science journal.
- participate in discussion to recount observations and experiences relating to the ways in which things move.
In the Launch phase, assessment is diagnostic.
Take note of:
- students’ ideas about movement. Are they able to recognise that (for example):
- spherical objects will roll more easily?
- light objects slide more easily, but can’t always go as far?
- are they able to select an appropriate object and form of moving it during the ‘passing’ game?
You might collect this data using anecdotal records.
Whole class
Class science journal (digital or hard-copy)
Materials to build a word wall
Optional: Gym mats or similar, to cushion the floor surface for students when they’re rolling
A collection of objects that can be safely passed around by students, of different shapes, sizes and materials. You might provide small, medium or large examples of objects that are spherical (such as a ball or cotton ball), cuboid (such as a box) or irregularly shaped (such as a large soft toy, an AFL/rugby ball). These objects will be used throughout the sequence.
Large cube/die labelled with movement words (e.g. slide, roll, push, pull, bounce, spin). Movement dice Resource sheet provides a paper template, or you may label a blank cube.
Optional: Large cube/die labelled with movement descriptions (e.g. hard, soft, fast, close, far, slow), also included in the Movement dice Resource sheet
Optional: Device for taking photos and recording video
Each student
Individual science journal
Lesson
The Launch phase is designed to increase the science capital in a classroom by asking questions that elicit and explore students’ experiences. It uses local and global contexts and real-world phenomena that inspire students to recognise and explore the science behind objects, events and phenomena that occur in the material world. It encourages students to ask questions, investigate concepts, and engage with the Core Concepts that anchor each unit.
The Launch phase is divided into four routines that:
- ensure students experience the science for themselves and empathise with people who experience the problems science seeks to solve (Experience and empathise)
- anchor the teaching sequence with the key ideas and core science concepts (Anchor)
- elicit students’ prior understanding (Elicit)
- and connect with the students’ lives, languages and interests (Connect).
Students arrive in the classroom with a variety of scientific experiences. This routine provides an opportunity to plan for a common shared experience for all students. The Experience may involve games, role-play, local excursions or yarning with people in the local community. This routine can involve a chance to Empathise with the people who experience the problems science seeks to solve.
When designing a teaching sequence, consider what experiences will be relevant to your students. Is there a location for an excursion, or people to talk to as part of an incursion? Are there local people in the community who might be able to talk about what they are doing? How could you set up your classroom to broaden the students’ thinking about the core science ideas? How could you provide a common experience that will provide a talking point throughout the sequence?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkIntroducing movement
Before beginning this sequence
This sequence explores the movement of both body parts/people and objects. It is important to remember that some students may have different needs and might not always be able to move or participate in activities in the same way as others. Adaptions should be made to suit the needs of your individual students.
If appropriate, you might discuss with students how everyone’s body works differently, and the goal for this sequence is for everyone to learn, have fun and feel included.
Ask students to roll their bodies across the ground in different ways, with one person rolling and a partner observing before switching roles. You might choose to add mats or cushioning to soften the surface for students.
Discuss the shapes that students could make with their bodies that might make it easier or harder to roll. Ask them to try out different body shapes when rolling.
Challenge students to roll with their bodies in a ‘star’ shape, that is, with their arms and legs outstretched at an angle.
Discuss what students experienced/observed.
- Was it easy or hard to roll your body along the floor?
- Were some shapes easier to roll than others? Which ones?
- Was it easy to roll when your body was in a ‘star’ shape? Why do you think that?
- When you were rolling in a ‘star’ shape, did you naturally change your shape to make rolling easier? How did you change it?
Core concepts and key ideas
Where does this sequence fit into the larger picture of science and the science curriculum?
When planning for teaching in your classroom, it can be useful to see where a sequence fits into the larger picture of science. This unit is anchored to the Science understanding core concepts for Physical Sciences.
- Forces affect the motion and behaviour of objects.
In Foundation, the focus of learning is on the motion and behaviour of objects as they move, as students describe how objects move and how factors (including their size, shape or material) influence this movement. Push and pull forces are not specifically introduced until Year 1; however, it may be necessary to introduce the terms in a rudimentary way, and indeed, students may instinctively use them to describe how they get objects to move.
It may also be useful to note that students may have already explored the biological sciences concept ‘observe external features of plants and animals and describe ways they can be grouped based on these features’ including how animals and plants move. They may also have had experiences in their early years learning, exploring how toys move.
This core concept is linked to the key science ideas:
- Parts, shapes, materials, and processes can be identified and named. (Systems)
- Objects and living things have observable characteristics. (Form and function)
- Relative language (faster/slower) can be used to compare objects and phenomena. (Scale and measurement)
- Objects and events can be sorted based on observed characteristics such as movement. (Patterns, order and organisation)
- Patterns of movement can be observed and used to make predictions. (Patterns, order and organisation)
- Changes in the movement of objects can be observed and described. (Stability and change)
When your students next progress through this core concept, they will describe pushes and pulls in terms of strength and direction and predict the effect of these forces on objects’ motion and shape in Year 1.
When planning for teaching in your classroom, it can be useful to see where a sequence fits into the larger picture of science. This unit is anchored to the Science understanding core concepts for Physical Sciences.
- Forces affect the motion and behaviour of objects.
In Foundation, the focus of learning is on the motion and behaviour of objects as they move, as students describe how objects move and how factors (including their size, shape or material) influence this movement. Push and pull forces are not specifically introduced until Year 1; however, it may be necessary to introduce the terms in a rudimentary way, and indeed, students may instinctively use them to describe how they get objects to move.
It may also be useful to note that students may have already explored the biological sciences concept ‘observe external features of plants and animals and describe ways they can be grouped based on these features’ including how animals and plants move. They may also have had experiences in their early years learning, exploring how toys move.
This core concept is linked to the key science ideas:
- Parts, shapes, materials, and processes can be identified and named. (Systems)
- Objects and living things have observable characteristics. (Form and function)
- Relative language (faster/slower) can be used to compare objects and phenomena. (Scale and measurement)
- Objects and events can be sorted based on observed characteristics such as movement. (Patterns, order and organisation)
- Patterns of movement can be observed and used to make predictions. (Patterns, order and organisation)
- Changes in the movement of objects can be observed and described. (Stability and change)
When your students next progress through this core concept, they will describe pushes and pulls in terms of strength and direction and predict the effect of these forces on objects’ motion and shape in Year 1.
Alternative conceptions
What alternative conceptions might students hold about movement? How does this sequence address them?
Movement is the change in position of an object over time, from one place to another. The movement can happen fast or take place slowly and is brought about by a change in force. The universe, and everything in it, is continuously moving and changing, so having an understanding of the concepts related to movement is foundational to making sense of the world.
At this age, students are developing their gross and fine motor skills and are curious about how they move themselves and how they can make other things move.
Students might have alternative conceptions that forces are related to living things, that for something to keep moving at the same speed, a constant force is needed, that the amount of motion is determined by force, that to move fast requires more force than to move slowly, and/or that stationary objects are not subjected to any forces.
In this sequence, students are introduced to basic concepts about movement in relation to how they move, how they can make other objects move, and how this movement is influenced by the size, shape, and material of objects.
Whilst force is not explicitly touched on, the lessons provide the foundation for students’ learning about how force affects movement in later primary years.
Movement is the change in position of an object over time, from one place to another. The movement can happen fast or take place slowly and is brought about by a change in force. The universe, and everything in it, is continuously moving and changing, so having an understanding of the concepts related to movement is foundational to making sense of the world.
At this age, students are developing their gross and fine motor skills and are curious about how they move themselves and how they can make other things move.
Students might have alternative conceptions that forces are related to living things, that for something to keep moving at the same speed, a constant force is needed, that the amount of motion is determined by force, that to move fast requires more force than to move slowly, and/or that stationary objects are not subjected to any forces.
In this sequence, students are introduced to basic concepts about movement in relation to how they move, how they can make other objects move, and how this movement is influenced by the size, shape, and material of objects.
Whilst force is not explicitly touched on, the lessons provide the foundation for students’ learning about how force affects movement in later primary years.
The Launch phase is designed to increase the science capital in a classroom by asking questions that elicit and explore students’ experiences. It uses local and global contexts and real-world phenomena that inspire students to recognise and explore the science behind objects, events and phenomena that occur in the material world. It encourages students to ask questions, investigate concepts, and engage with the Core Concepts that anchor each unit.
The Launch phase is divided into four routines that:
- ensure students experience the science for themselves and empathise with people who experience the problems science seeks to solve (Experience and empathise)
- anchor the teaching sequence with the key ideas and core science concepts (Anchor)
- elicit students’ prior understanding (Elicit)
- and connect with the students’ lives, languages and interests (Connect).
The Elicit routine provides opportunities to identify students’ prior experiences, existing science capital and potential alternative conceptions related to the Core concepts. The diagnostic assessment allows teachers to support their students to build connections between what they already know and the teaching and learning that occurs during the Inquire cycle.
When designing a teaching sequence, consider when and where students may have been exposed to the core concepts and key ideas in the past. Imagine how a situation would have looked without any prior knowledge. What ideas and thoughts might students have used to explain the situation or phenomenon? What alternative conceptions might your students hold? How will you identify these?
The Deep connected learning in the ‘Pedagogical Toolbox: Deep connected learning’ provides a set of tools to identify common alternative conceptions to aid teachers during this routine.
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkMovement detectives
Play the following game:
- Students sit in a circle around a collection of objects. See advice in the List of materials about object selection.
- Explain that during the game students will select one object and, after returning to their place in the circle, pass it to another student in the circle by moving it in an interesting way.
- Ask students to name and describe each object. Some prompts might include asking them to describe its shape or size, whether it’s hard or soft, heavy or light, or the material it’s made of.
- Next discuss interesting ways they could move the object to another person, ensuring that everyone on the circle stays safe. A prompt for discussing safety might be to ask students if it would be safe to throw something that was really hard across the circle, and why that might not be safe.
- Pick a student to begin the game, asking them to select an object, return to their original spot in the circle, name who they are passing their object to, and then pass the object.
- The receiving student then passes the object to someone else, or chooses a new object to pass to someone else.
- Continue this until all students have had an opportunity to select and pass an object.
- As the game progresses, introduce an oversized die with the faces labelled with different movements, such as slide, roll, push, pull, bounce, and spin. Students then roll the dice and pass the object in the way described.
- Optional: Add a second die with words such as hard, soft, fast, slow, close, far, and have students use both dice to determine the method of passing the object.
As the objects are selected and passed around, stimulate students' thinking and a class discussion, and gather diagnostic data, in any of the following ways:
- Ask students why they selected the object to pass that they did, and if they think it was/will be easy/hard to pass.
- Ask the student who received the object to describe how the object moved as it made its way to them.
- Ask the student passing the object to describe how they made the object move.
- Ask students to predict how the object will move when a certain action is taken. For example, How will the object move if I push it just with my pinky finger? or How will the object move if I stand up and drop it towards the floor?
- Ask students if their predictions matched what happened.
- Discuss the movements students were required to make to move the object in the way indicated by the die. For example, to bounce something, you typically raise it off the ground then drop or push it towards the ground.
- Discuss if any items were/would be difficult to move in a certain way. For example, a soft toy might bounce once or twice and travel a short distance, but it’s difficult to make it bounce a long way. Ask students to discuss why they think this is.
Record any words students use relating to movement, force, speed etc. for the class word wall.
The Launch phase is designed to increase the science capital in a classroom by asking questions that elicit and explore students’ experiences. It uses local and global contexts and real-world phenomena that inspire students to recognise and explore the science behind objects, events and phenomena that occur in the material world. It encourages students to ask questions, investigate concepts, and engage with the Core Concepts that anchor each unit.
The Launch phase is divided into four routines that:
- ensure students experience the science for themselves and empathise with people who experience the problems science seeks to solve (Experience and empathise)
- anchor the teaching sequence with the key ideas and core science concepts (Anchor)
- elicit students’ prior understanding (Elicit)
- and connect with the students’ lives, languages and interests (Connect).
Science education consists of a series of key ideas and core concepts that can explain objects, events and phenomena, and link them to the experiences encountered by students in their lives. The purpose of the Anchor routine is to identify the key ideas and concepts in a way that builds and deepens students’ understanding. During the Launch phase, the Anchor routine provides a lens through which to view the classroom context, and a way to frame the key knowledge and skills students will be learning.
When designing a teaching sequence, consider the core concepts and key ideas that are relevant. Break these into small bite-sized pieces that are relevant to the age and stage of your students. Consider possible alternative concepts that students might hold. How could you provide activities or ask questions that will allow students to consider what they know?
Each student comes to the classroom with experiences made up from science-related knowledge, attitudes, experiences and resources in their life. The Connect routine is designed to tap into these experiences and that of their wider community. It is also an opportunity to yarn with community leaders (where appropriate) to gain an understanding of the student’s lives, languages and interests. In the Launch phase, this routine identifies and uses the science capital of students as the foundation of the teaching sequence so students can appreciate the relevance of their learning and its potential impact on future decisions. In short, this routine moves beyond scientific literacy and increases the science capital in the classroom and science identity of the students.
When planning a teaching sequence, take an interest in the lives of your students. What are their hobbies, how do they travel to and from school? What might have happened in the lives of your students (i.e. blackouts) that might be relevant to your next teaching sequence? What context might be of interest to your students?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkWhat rolls?
Explain to the students that throughout the next lessons, they are going to work like scientists to make observations of things that move, think about how they move, and ask questions about what might change those movements. At the end of the sequence they are going to use what they have learned to explain, modify or design a game for other people to play. See Preparing for this sequence for more information.
Define the term move—a change of position from one place to another—in a manner appropriate for your students. For example, you might like to give them the definition and then model/experience movement again by moving body parts and objects around. Alternatively, you could construct a definition with students by modelling/experiencing movement and asking them to describe what is happening.
Optional: Model writing a sentence in the class science journal about something that happened during the lesson. For example:
- Swetha rolled across the floor.
- Amir slid the box to Mia.
- Curt tried to roll the cotton ball, but it didn’t move very far.
Challenge pairs of students to verbalise a sentence to describe something they did during the lesson. These could then be written in the class science journal, or written and/or illustrated in students’ individual science journals (with the assistance of a scribe as required).
Reflect on the lesson
You might:
- review the class science journal.
- add any vocabulary to the class word wall that students are likely to use often during the course of the sequence.
- re-examine the intended learning goals for the lesson and consider how they were achieved.