Forces
This list provides teaching strategies and activities to help students develop their understanding of forces including investigations on air resistance.
Whilst this list provides a source of information and ideas for experimental work, it is important to note that recommendations can date very quickly. Do NOT follow suggestions which conflict with current advice from CLEAPSS, SSERC or recent safety guides. eLibrary users are responsible for ensuring that any activity, including practical work, which they carry out is consistent with current regulations related to Health and Safety and that they carry an appropriate risk assessment. Further information is provided in our Health and Safety guidance.
Forces 11-14
From the Institute of Physics, this resource provides extensive teacher guidance and suggested classroom activities to support the teaching of:
* Forces - a way of looking at the world
* Contact forces
* Non-contact forces
Air resistance - INEOS 1:59 Challenge - Pacemaker formation challenge
This resource uses the context of long distance runner Eliud Kipchoge trying to be the first person to run a marathon under 2 hours, to look at air resistance. There is a video accompanied by a presentation with teacher notes and a student workbook to guide pupils through the activities which includes an investigation into the best position of runners who act as pacemakers to Eliud.
RADAAR framework to support forces
This infographic uses the RADAAR (research, anticipate, diagnose, address, assess, review) framework developed by the Best Evidence Science Teaching (BEST) project, to guide teachers through teaching the topic of forces to 11 to 14 year olds. It looks at the language to use when teaching forces to help students' understanding.
Forces and Motion Basics
This simulation allows students to change variables to explore, both qualitatively and quantitatively, the forces at work when pulling a cart or pushing a fridge.
What Forces Act in Stretching?
This concept cartoon helps students to understand the forces in action when a bungee cord is being stretched. It is a useful tool to highlight students' misconceptions and then address them.
The Digital Twin Challenge
This game from Siemens gives pupils the opportunity to design a virtual car by altering various factors such as the type of tyres, body style, engine and materials for wheels. The real-time simulation tests each design change in terms of outputs and how it performs on the road. The game can be used to support the teaching of forces, movement, aerodynamics and design for pupils aged 11 to 14 and the resource includes some lesson plan ideas and worksheets to do this.
RADAAR framework - How I teach forces
This infographic guide to teaching 11-14 year olds about forces uses the RADAAR (research, anticipate, diagnose, address, assess, review) framework developed by the Best Evidence Science Teaching (BEST) project based at the University of York.
Balanced forces - R2P
This resource provides a lesson plan showing how to use bridging analogies to teach about balanced forces. A research summary provides a concise overview of the difficulties experienced when teaching this topic and the common misconceptions. Elements of this research are then utlised within the lesson plan to address the common misconception that stationary objects have no forces acting upon them.
By the end of the lesson pupils should be able to describe the magnitude and direction of forces acting on a stationary object and draw appropriate vector arrows.