Make it move!
View Sequence overviewStudents will:
- predict and observe the movement of objects in games.
- identify factors that affect the way objects move, including their size and shape.
Students will represent their understanding as they:
- participate in discussion to recount observations and experience relating to the ways in which things move.
- ask questions and make predictions.
- record ideas in a science journal.
In this lesson, assessment is formative.
Feedback might focus on:
- students’ understanding of how they cause other objects to move.
- Are they able to name the actions they took that made objects move?
- Can they describe ways they can specifically impact the direction, strength etc. of their movements?
- students’ understanding of factors that might affect movement.
- Can they identify times where the size or shape of the object changed the way it moved?
Whole class
Class science journal (digital or hard-copy)
Objects that can be passed around by students in a circle, as used in Lessons 1 and 2
Equipment to play games that involving moving equipment. Select games suited to your students and context. The following are suggested in the lesson:
Tunnel ball
- A variety of balls of different shapes and sizes that can be rolled through the tunnel of students’ legs, ensuring you have enough for each team to have one of the same type of ball each round.
- Examples include basketballs, netballs, AFL/rugby balls, beach balls or tennis balls.
Skittles
- Pins (similar to ten pin bowling pins) and a ball to knock them over. Gather different types of pins/balls that vary in size and material (e.g. wood vs plastic or small versus large) or improvise with classroom equipment:
- Pins might be built out of blocks, made with paper/cardboard or substituted with glue-sticks.
- Balls could be wooden, plastic, foam, inflatable, small, large etc.
T-ball or kickball
- A T-stand—waist height for T-ball and ankle height for kickball. A tall traffic cone can be used as a substitute for T-ball, or flat disc markers for kickball.
- Different types of balls that can be placed on the T-stand.
- If playing T-ball, different instruments that can work as a bat, for example, foam cricket or baseball bats, table tennis paddles. Bats can also be improvised by using rolled up paper/cardboard, unifix blocks joined together or even plastic drink containers.
Optional: A device to take photographs of or record students playing games.
Each student
Individual science journal (digital or hard-copy)
Lesson
Re-orient
In a circle, replay the passing game played in Lesson 1 and re-enacted in Lesson 2. Pass the objects around again, but this time ask students to describe how they are going to move each object before they do it. Ask them to include as much detail as they can. There is no need to correct students or add more detail at this point.
Record some students’ descriptions in the class science journal, with a focus on recording those with an increasing level of detail.
For example, you might record “I'm going to roll the ball to Aiden” early on, then “I'll use my hands to push the ball so it rolls to Abhidi”, then “I will use my hands and arms to push the ball hard so it rolls fast towards Mariama”.
The Inquire phase allows students to cycle progressively and with increasing complexity through the key science ideas related to the core concepts. Each Inquire cycle is divided into three teaching and learning routines that allow students to systematically build their knowledge and skills in science and incorporate this into their current understanding of the world.
When designing a teaching sequence, it is important to consider the knowledge and skills that students will need in the final Act phase. Consider what the students already know and identify the steps that need to be taken to reach the level required. How could you facilitate students’ understanding at each step? What investigations could be designed to build the skills at each step?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkIdentifying and constructing questions is the creative driver of the inquiry process. It allows students to explore what they know and how they know it. During the Inquire phase of the LIA Framework, the Question routine allows for past activities to be reviewed and to set the scene for the investigation that students will undertake. The use of effective questioning techniques can influence students’ view and interpretation of upcoming content, open them to exploration and link to their current interests and science capital.
When designing a teaching sequence, it is important to spend some time considering the mindset of students at the start of each Inquire phase. What do you want students to be thinking about, what do they already know and what is the best way for them to approach the task? What might tap into their curiosity?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkGames we play
Students brainstorm a list of games they play at school that involve equipment that moves, and describe what moves are made during each game. You might also prompt their thinking by naming some games for them and asking them to describe the equipment and movements involved.
List these in a table in the class science journal, using whatever level of detail students provide. Students will have a chance to add to this table later in the lesson.
Pose the questions: How do objects move in these games? Can we change this movement?
The Inquire phase allows students to cycle progressively and with increasing complexity through the key science ideas related to the core concepts. Each Inquire cycle is divided into three teaching and learning routines that allow students to systematically build their knowledge and skills in science and incorporate this into their current understanding of the world.
When designing a teaching sequence, it is important to consider the knowledge and skills that students will need in the final Act phase. Consider what the students already know and identify the steps that need to be taken to reach the level required. How could you facilitate students’ understanding at each step? What investigations could be designed to build the skills at each step?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkThe Investigate routine provides students with an opportunity to explore the key ideas of science, to plan and conduct an investigation, and to gather and record data. The investigations are designed to systematically develop content knowledge and skills through increasingly complex processes of structured inquiry, guided inquiry and open inquiry approaches. Students are encouraged to process data to identify trends and patterns and link them to the real-world context of the teaching sequence.
When designing a teaching sequence, consider the diagnostic assessment (Launch phase) that identified the alternative conceptions that students held. Are there activities that challenge these ideas and provide openings for discussion? What content knowledge and skills do students need to be able to complete the final (Act phase) task? How could you systematically build these through the investigation routines? Are there opportunities to build students’ understanding and skills in the science inquiry processes through the successive investigations?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkPlaying the game
Play a variety of games with students where objects move. During the game, swap out the objects typically used in the game for others that are different in size, shape, and material.
Examples are given below, selected for their accessibility and wide appeal. They are not a definitive selection of the games that can/should be played with students for this investigation. Select games that are appropriate for your students’ needs and context. The games should involve objects whose movement is central to the activity, and where a change to that object might affect how the game is played. For example, playing tunnel ball with an AFL or rugby ball will make the game more difficult, or playing skittles with a very large ball will make the game easier.
Tunnel ball
In this game, teams of students stand behind each other (close together without touching) with their feet spread apart to create a tunnel between their legs. The student at the front rolls a ball, typically a large ball such as a basketball, netball, or similar, through the tunnel. The student at the rear picks up the ball, brings it to the front, and rolls the ball through the tunnel again. The game is complete when the student who began the game at the front of the line is back at the front.
Modify the game by changing the ball students are required to roll. For example, you might use an AFL or rugby ball, a beach ball, or a tennis ball.
Skittles
In this game, a ball is rolled or thrown underarm with the aim of knocking down the pins, or skittles. The materials used for the ball and skittles can vary. Often, wooden pins will be paired with a smallish wooden ball, and plastic pins designed for younger children will be paired with a larger plastic ball. To modify this game, you might pair wooden pins with a plastic or light foam ball, or a large beach ball with smaller plastic pins. You might also change the distance between students and the pins. The ball would then need to be rolled with more force because it is further away.
Kickball or T-ball
In these games, a ball is placed on a stand and students either kick the ball off the stand or hit it off with a bat. In kickball, the stand is typically low to the ground and a large ball, such as a soccer ball, is kicked. In T-ball, a higher stand is typically used with a smaller ball, and students hit the ball off the stand with a bat. The size/style of the ball and bat can be selected to suit the motor skills of students.
Similar to baseball, if appropriate, students might also run between bases after kicking/hitting the ball out of the stands in order to score runs for their team.
These games can be altered in several ways. If playing T-ball, you might alter the size of the ball and the bat. If playing kickball, you might use a lighter, softer ball that is more likely to travel through the air and go further. A soccer ball might hit the ground and roll from much closer to the stand, while an AFL/rugby ball might bounce once kicked.
Optional: Learn about and experience some aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures by playing modified versions of traditional games that involve the movement of people and objects.
The Yulunga Traditional Indigenous Games booklet available from the Australian Sports Commission website describes many examples. A simplified version, containing fewer, but still many suitable options, is also available from the NSW Government Office of Sport website.
Some suggestions suitable for Foundation students include:
- Borna Jokee (throwing/dodging game)
- Diyari Koolchee (ball-throwing and target game)
- Juluhya (rolling objects through a tube game)
- Kai Wed (keeping the ball in the air game)
- Tambil Tambil (throwing/dodging game)
- Koolchee (rolling ball game)
- Nanyima (throwing and catching game)
- Wana (throwing/rolling/target game)
Yulunga means “playing” in the language of the Kamilaroi (Gamori) people of northern-western New South Wales.
Movement in ball games
How does shape affect the way a ball moves?
Balls bounce because of what they’re made of, how they’re shaped, and what happens when they hit the ground.
Most balls are round (spherical), which helps them roll and bounce evenly in all directions. When you drop a ball, it doesn’t just reach the ground and stop—it squashes a little when it hits the ground (the kinetic energy is transformed into elastic potential energy). If the ball is made of something stretchy or elastic, like rubber, it quickly springs back into shape (the elastic potential energy transformed back into kinetic energy). This "springing back" pushes the ball back into the air (bounce).
When balls are a different shape, for example like an AFL or rugby ball, they don’t bounce the same way every time, but in unexpected directions or not as high. This is because its shape doesn’t squash or stretch evenly. When the ball springs back into shape, it pushes the ball to move in a different direction.
A ball hitting and rubbing against the surface of the ground also causes friction between the ball and the ground. It can slow the ball down or make it spin. Friction can also cause some of the ball’s energy to be transformed into heat and sound.
Rolling is a form of movement that allows an object to move over a surface with very little loss of energy due to friction. The more round an object is, the more easily it will roll. For example, a smooth, spherical ball bearing will roll easily compared with a rough, uneven rock. The surface over which an object moves also determines how easily it rolls. Rough, uneven surfaces reduce the ease with which an object rolls. Soft, easily deformed surfaces, such as shag-pile carpet or muddy ground, also make it difficult for an object to roll. Hard, smooth surfaces make rolling easy because there are fewer bumps to slow down the rolling object.
An object rolling along a surface will eventually be slowed down by the force of friction and will stop. The friction is mainly between the object and the surface. However, there is also some friction between the object and the air.
In summary:
- The ball’s shape helps it bounce evenly.
- The material (how stretchy it is) helps it spring back.
- Friction affects how high or far it bounces or rolls.
Balls bounce because of what they’re made of, how they’re shaped, and what happens when they hit the ground.
Most balls are round (spherical), which helps them roll and bounce evenly in all directions. When you drop a ball, it doesn’t just reach the ground and stop—it squashes a little when it hits the ground (the kinetic energy is transformed into elastic potential energy). If the ball is made of something stretchy or elastic, like rubber, it quickly springs back into shape (the elastic potential energy transformed back into kinetic energy). This "springing back" pushes the ball back into the air (bounce).
When balls are a different shape, for example like an AFL or rugby ball, they don’t bounce the same way every time, but in unexpected directions or not as high. This is because its shape doesn’t squash or stretch evenly. When the ball springs back into shape, it pushes the ball to move in a different direction.
A ball hitting and rubbing against the surface of the ground also causes friction between the ball and the ground. It can slow the ball down or make it spin. Friction can also cause some of the ball’s energy to be transformed into heat and sound.
Rolling is a form of movement that allows an object to move over a surface with very little loss of energy due to friction. The more round an object is, the more easily it will roll. For example, a smooth, spherical ball bearing will roll easily compared with a rough, uneven rock. The surface over which an object moves also determines how easily it rolls. Rough, uneven surfaces reduce the ease with which an object rolls. Soft, easily deformed surfaces, such as shag-pile carpet or muddy ground, also make it difficult for an object to roll. Hard, smooth surfaces make rolling easy because there are fewer bumps to slow down the rolling object.
An object rolling along a surface will eventually be slowed down by the force of friction and will stop. The friction is mainly between the object and the surface. However, there is also some friction between the object and the air.
In summary:
- The ball’s shape helps it bounce evenly.
- The material (how stretchy it is) helps it spring back.
- Friction affects how high or far it bounces or rolls.
The Inquire phase allows students to cycle progressively and with increasing complexity through the key science ideas related to the core concepts. Each Inquire cycle is divided into three teaching and learning routines that allow students to systematically build their knowledge and skills in science and incorporate this into their current understanding of the world.
When designing a teaching sequence, it is important to consider the knowledge and skills that students will need in the final Act phase. Consider what the students already know and identify the steps that need to be taken to reach the level required. How could you facilitate students’ understanding at each step? What investigations could be designed to build the skills at each step?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkFollowing an investigation, the Integrate routine provides time and space for data to be evaluated and insights to be synthesized. It reveals new insights, consolidates and refines representations, generalises context and broadens students’ perspectives. It allows student thinking to become visible and opens formative feedback opportunities. It may also lead to further questions being asked, allowing the Inquire phase to start again.
When designing a teaching sequence, consider the diagnostic assessment that was undertaken during the Launch phase. Consider if alternative conceptions could be used as a jumping off point to discussions. How could students represent their learning in a way that would support formative feedback opportunities? Could small summative assessment occur at different stages in the teaching sequence?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkHow things move
In this Integrate step, guide students to link their experiences of movement during the games to the concepts about movement being explored. Through questioning and discussion, students should come to a consensus that:
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Ask students to name the objects that were used for each game they just played, which objects moved, how they moved, and if the students’ actions made them move. You might look at photographs or watch videos to jog students' memories of playing the games.
Information can be added to the table that was used at the beginning of the lesson. Consider adding a column to the table to include how people made the objects move.
Discuss how people make the objects move in games, and that they usually want the objects to move in a specific way or direction.
These prompts relate specifically to the games described in the previous step (tunnel ball, skittles, T-ball, kickball). Change or add to the prompts as appropriate if students played other games.
- How does the ball get to the end of the tunnel in tunnel ball?
- Would it get to the end of the tunnel if people didn't help it?
- Would the skittles/pins be knocked over if we didn't throw something at them?
- Students may note that the wind, or something else could knock over the skittles/pins, or that a ball may roll without someone touching it.
- Was it easier to knock the skittles/pins down with a small ball or a larger ball? Why do you think that was?
- Do you think it would be easier to knock the skittles/pins down from closer up, or further away? Why?
- What direction did you want to make the ball travel when playing T-ball/kickball?
- What did you do to make sure the ball went the way you wanted it to?
- Did you find that the size or the shape of any of the balls made the games easier or harder? Describe what you saw/experienced.
Record any ideas that seem relevant/interesting in the class science journal.
In their science journal, students draw a picture of them participating in one of the games, including a written description of what the picture is showing. Use a scribe if needed.
Reflect on the lesson
You might:
- review the class science journal.
- add any relevant vocabulary to the class word wall.
- discuss the movement involved in any games/activities students know and/or participate in outside of school.