This slide share offers teaching ideas for teaching forces for Year 2 teachers. It is linked directly to the Australian Curriculum. Additional resources can be found at: http://technologiesjvillis.weebly.com/ By Jo

1. http://pixabay.com/en/question-mark-question-response-96288/
Forces and
the
Properties
of
Materials
Y2
Teaching
ideas by
Joanne Villis

2. Forces and
the
Properties
of
Materials
Y2
Teaching
ideas by
Joanne Villis
AUSTRALIAN CURRICIULUM (K-2)
Explore how technologies use forces to create movement
in products (ACTDEK002)
These lesson ideas link to the Primary Connections Science
Unit for Year 2, Push -pull. The Australian Curriculum
content descriptor for this unit is:
A push or a pull affects how an object moves or changes
shape (ACSSU033).

3. Forces and
the
Properties
of
Materials
Y2
Teaching
ideas by
Joanne Villis
Teaching iDea 1: Exploration
Invite students to bring toys to school which require a push or pull in
order to move. Allow students time to explore/experiment with the
toys. Students might be asked to record observations using a table. They
may also be asked to sort the toys into groups (toys which require a
push and toys which require a pull) and rank the toys according to how
much force needs to be applied in order for the toys to move.

4. Forces and
the
Properties
of
Materials
Y2
Teaching
ideas by
Joanne Villis
Which parts allow movement?
Ask students to draw and label diagrams of toys. Ask them to focus on
what parts of the toys allow movement? What shapes allow for
movement? What would happen the shape of the moveable parts were
different?
Does the surface type affect movement?
Ask students if the surface on which a toy is on affects movement?
Invite students to investigate? How might they approach the question?
What could they do to test their idea? Students may need support with
designing a test. Alternatively, teachers may choose to approach this
task as a whole class investigation.

5. Forces and
the
Properties
of
Materials
Y2
Teaching
ideas by
Joanne Villis
Teaching iDea 2: Wheels
Cut some different shaped card (e circles, triangles, squares) and use a
straight rod (ie pin, match, needle, toothpick, doweling) to connect to
the cut out shapes. The shapes on either end of the rod need to be
the same shapes. Then roll them across a smooth surface. Ask
students to record how they roll. You might ask students to rate each
(ie P=poor, A= average, G=good, E=excellent).

6. Forces and
the
Properties
of
Materials
Y2
Teaching
ideas by
Joanne Villis
Teaching iDea 3: Levers
A lever is a rigid bar resting on a pivot, used to move a heavy or firmly
fixed load with one end when pressure is applied to the other. Ask
students: "What do a fork and a pair of scissors have in common?
…Well, apart from being common devices found in most modern
households, they're levers, and levers are some of the most important
machines" (source). Invite students to create their own levers by
following instructions using this link. Of cource, we use coins in
Australia instead of pennies.
Invite students to explore and explain some
simple levers (ie a stapler, a peg, see-saw,
scissors, tweezers, hammer, wheel burrow
and pliers).

7. Forces and
the
Properties
of
Materials
Y2
Teaching
ideas by
Joanne Villis
Teaching iDea 3: Levers
Link levers to art. Source: http://themetapicture.com/fun-with-
clothespins/

8. Forces and
the
Properties
of
Materials
Y2
Teaching
ideas by
Joanne Villis
Teaching iDea 4: Slinky
The slinky has been a popular toy for over half a century. In
this investigation students explore how the angle of an
inclined plane affects how a slinky can walk down a plane.
“The inventor of the Slinky was a retired Navy engineer
named Richard James, who worked in the Philadelphia
Naval Shipyard. He initially thought the bouncy springs
would be useful on ships for supporting sensitive
instruments and keeping them stable during storms at sea.
But after the Navy showed no interest in his
springs, his wife, Betty, had a better idea—she
thought up a catchy name and Slinky the toy
was born in 1945” (source).

9. Forces and
the
Properties
of
Materials
Y2
Teaching
ideas by
Joanne Villis
Teaching iDea 4: Slinky
Show students how to make a ramp using a plank of wood
and a stack of books. Invite students to investigate how the
slope/steepness of the ramp affects the slinky. How might
they test it? What might they use to record the Slinky's
movement? (ie stop watch or ruler).
Ask students to write a procedure on how they will conduct
their investigation. If this is a new process for students,
teachers may choose to conduct this part as a whole class.
Allow students to conduct the investigation.
Source: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bring-
science-home-slinky/

10. Forces and
the
Properties
of
Materials
Y2
Teaching
ideas by
Joanne Villis
Teaching iDea 5: Rocket propelled toy
car
This investigation is more structured than the other
investigations. These are the materials you will need:

11. Forces and
the
Properties
of
Materials
Y2
Teaching
ideas by
Joanne Villis
Teaching iDea 5: Rocket propelled toy
car
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sT-n3QfCl_c

12. Forces and
the
Properties
of
Materials
Y2
Teaching
ideas by
Joanne Villis
Teaching iDea 5: Rocket propelled toy
car
Ask students to explain the force being used to make the car
move. Can they draw a diagram to help explain their
thoughts? What might happen if they use two straws
instead of one? Two balloons? Use a bigger car?

13. Forces and
the
Properties
of
Materials
Y2
Teaching
ideas by
Joanne Villis
Teaching iDea 6: The Mammandur
The Mammandur is a spinning top that was played with by Aboriginal
children of Awngthim, Weipa in Queensland. Traditionally the
mammandur was made from beeswax and a stick.
It was spun by rubbing the stick between two palms
or by using the thumb and middle finger to twist it.
Invite students to make their own using wooden
sticks and plasticine. Then ask students to
investigate different methods of spinning their
mammandur.
Source: Year 2 Blog

14. Forces and
the
Properties
of
Materials
Y2
Teaching
ideas by
Joanne Villis
Teaching iDea 7: Catapults
Allow students to play Angry Birds online:
http://chrome.angrybirds.com/%20/

15. Forces and
the
Properties
of
Materials
Y2
Teaching
ideas by
Joanne Villis
Teaching iDea 7: Catapults
Ask students to consider how a catapult works. What force is
used? Invite students to write an explanation. Then ask them
to draw and label a diagram showing how they think a
catapult works.
Show students a range of materials and ask them how they
might use the materials to build a catapult. Invite students to
draw their design idea, build it and test it.
Teachers may find that several or many of student’s designs
don’t work. If this happens try some of the methods on the
following slide.

16. Forces and
the
Properties
of
Materials
Y2
Teaching
ideas by
Joanne Villis
Teaching iDea 7: Catapults
Build a Lego catapult. Instructions can be
found at:
http://frugalfun4boys.com/2014/01/27/t
wo-ways-build-lego-catapult/
Build a marshmallow catapult.
Instructions can be found at:
http://random-
scraps.blogspot.com.au/2010/06/marsh
mallow-catapult.html

17. Forces and
the
Properties
of
Materials
Y2
Teaching
ideas by
Joanne Villis
Teaching iDea 8: Design your own
simple machine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEsH1iA20GM

18. Forces and
the
Properties
of
Materials
Y2
Teaching
ideas by
Joanne Villis
Teaching iDea 8: Design your own
simple machine
After viewing Bill Nye’s video from the previous slide let students
know that they have been asked to design their own simple machine
using their knowledge from this unit of work. As a class, brainstorm
what we have learned from our investigations.
Invite students to think and discuss a simple machine that they would
like to make. What might the purpose of their simple machine be?
What forces would it use in order to complete its purpose?
Ask students to draw a design, list the materials needed, write a
procedure, build their simple machine and then evaluate.

19. Forces and
the
Properties
of
Materials
Y2
Teaching
ideas by
Joanne Villis
Copyright
I give permission for the following:
Adaptations and sharing of this resources is for educational
purpose only. I do not give permission for commercial use of
this work. When sharing or adapting this work I ask that you
give credit to the original creator, Joanne Villis at
http://intertecheducation.edublogs.org/ .These ideas may
be used for non-commercial purposes only.
Contact details:
http://intertecheducation.edublogs.org/
jvillis@inter-tech.com.au
http://www.pinterest.com/joannevillis/