Lesson Plans
Year 7 Science Chapter 8
Forces
Some general points about the following lesson plans:
The lesson plans outline only one way of sequencing the learning material in this chapter of the
textbook.
The content and sequence will obviously vary from class to class (The following guide is ambitious in
many instances).
All activities and investigations in each chapter have been deliberately designed to support the National
Curriculum content whilst keeping in mind the development and reinforcement of skills required in the
study of science in Year 11/12.
The length of lessons vary from school to school and even within schools. The following guide is
based on 35/40 min lessons because it was reasoned that adjustment to 60/75/90 mins lessons would be
easier than reducing lesson plans.
Students may be challenged further by completing each chapter Task, Competition Questions,
Challenges, and by finding and entering any of the many competitions, challenges, projects etc that
may be found on the Internet. Such students may benefit by doing an Internet search early in the year
and planning entries before they close.
Assessment
A Task
Inquiry Report
End of Unit Test
Content Description (4 weeks)
Chapter 8
Change to an object’s motion is caused by unbalanced forces acting on the object (ACSSU117).
Investigate the effects of applying different forces to familiar objects.
Investigate common situations where forces are balanced, such as stationary objects, and unbalanced,
such as falling objects.
Investigate a simple machine such as lever or pulley system.
Page 1 of 5
Content strands
The Australian Curriculum: Science has three interrelated strands: Science Understanding, Science as a
Human Endeavour and Science Inquiry Skills.
Science as a Human Endeavour
Scientific knowledge changes as new evidence becomes available, and some scientific discoveries have
significantly changed people’s understanding of the world (ACSHE119)
• investigating how advances in telescopes and space probes have provided new evidence about space
• researching different ideas used in the development of models of the solar system developed by scientists
such as Copernicus, Khayyám and Galileo
• researching developments in the understanding of astronomy, such as the predictions of eclipses and the
calculation of the length of the solar year by Al‑Battani in the tenth century
Science knowledge can develop through collaboration and connecting ideas across the disciplines of science
(ACSHE223)
• considering how water use and management relies on knowledge from different areas of science, and
involves the application of technology
• identifying the contributions of Australian scientists to the study of human impact on environments and to
local environmental management projects
• investigating how land management practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples can help
inform sustainable management of the environment
• studying transnational collaborative research in the Antarctic
• recognising that traditional and Western scientific knowledge can be used in combination to care for
Country and Place
Science and technology contribute to finding solutions to a range of contemporary issues; these solutions
may impact on other areas of society and involve ethical considerations (ACSHE120)
• relating regulations about wearing seatbelts or safety helmets to knowledge of forces and motion
• considering issues relating to the use and management of water within a community
• considering decisions made in relation to the recycling of greywater and blackwater
• considering how human activity in the community can have positive and negative effects on the
sustainability of ecosystems
• investigating ways to control the spread of the cane toad
Science understanding influences the development of practices in areas of human activity such as industry,
agriculture and marine and terrestrial resource management (ACSHE121)
• investigating everyday applications of physical separation techniques such as filtering, sorting waste
materials, reducing pollution, extracting products from plants, separating blood products and cleaning up
oil spills
• investigating how advances in science and technology have been applied to the treatment of water in
industrial and household systems
• investigating how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge is being used to inform scientific
decisions, for example care of waterways
• researching the different scientific responses to the rabbit plagues in Australian agricultural areas
People use understanding and skills from across the disciplines of science in their occupations (ACSHE224)
• recognising that water management plays a role in areas such as farming, land management and gardening
• investigating how separation techniques are used in the food and wine industries
• considering how seasonal changes affect people in a variety of activities such as farming
• considering how sports scientists apply knowledge of forces in order to improve performance
Science Inquiry Skills
Science inquiry involves identifying and posing questions; planning, conducting and reflecting on
investigations; processing, analysing and interpreting evidence; and communicating findings. This strand
is concerned with evaluating claims, investigating ideas, solving problems, drawing valid conclusions and
developing evidence-based arguments.
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Chapter 8 Forces (4 weeks)
Lesson Method Resources
1 ̺̺ General (covering book, ruling pages, paste study guide etc.)
̺̺ Purpose of chapter
̺̺ Introduce/discuss: Forces p171
̺̺ Discuss: Newton p171
̺̺ Discuss: Forces in everyday life
̺̺ HW: Thoughts about task p171
2 ̺̺ Discuss: Forces p172
̺̺ Activity: Memorise definition of force p172
̺̺ Exercise p173
̺̺ HW: Revise dfn force, challenge p173
3 ̺̺ Test: Definition force and examples
̺̺ Discuss: Measuring force p174
̺̺ Discuss: Units of force p174
̺̺ Exercise p174
̺̺ HW: Complete exercise as necessary, Revise measuring force
4 ̺̺ Test: Definition force and examples Equipment for
̺̺ Discuss: Gravity p175 force meter
̺̺ Activity: Make a force meter p175
̺̺ Activity: Calibrate the force meter p175
̺̺ HW: Revise force and measuring force
5 ̺̺ Test: Definition force, examples, measurement, gravity Internet
̺̺ Internet: Torsion meters p175
̺̺ Exercise p175
̺̺ Challenge p175 (Work a few other examples?)
̺̺ HW: Complete exercise as necessary and revise forces
6 ̺̺ Test: Definition force, examples, measurement, gravity Flat surface
̺̺ Discuss: Friction p176 and a variety of
̺̺ Activity: Draw force diagram of object on a slope p176 objects
̺̺ Activity: Different surfaces, different resistance p176 Internet
̺̺ Internet: Online experiments with interactive friction p176
̺̺ HW: Revise forces
7 ̺̺ Test: Definition force, examples, measurement, gravity, friction Flat surface,
̺̺ Discuss: Usefiul friction with examples p177 variety of
̺̺ Discuss: Problem friction with examples p177 objects,
̺̺ Activity: Measure friction p176 spring balance
̺̺ HW: Revise Forces (Newtons)
8 ̺̺ Test: Definition force, examples, measurement, gravity, friction Internet
̺̺ Internet: Online videos of friction p177
̺̺ Internet: Online videos of air resistance p177
̺̺ Internet: Computer processor and heat p177
̺̺ Internet: Brake fade? p177
̺̺ Exercise p177
̺̺ HW: Revise forces
Page 3 of 5
Chapter 8 Forces (4 weeks)
Lesson Method Resources
9 ̺̺ Test: Definition force, examples, measurement, gravity, friction Magnets
̺̺ Discuss: Magnets and magnetic force p178 Internet
̺̺ Activity: Magnets pull or push p178
̺̺ Internet: Experiment with online magnets ‘interactive magnet’ p178
̺̺ Exercise p159
̺̺ HW: Revise manetic force and consider challenge p 178
10 ̺̺ Test: Definition force, measurement, gravity, friction, magnetic force Equipment to
̺̺ Discuss: Earth’s magnetic field p179 make compass
̺̺ Activity: Make your own compass p179 Internet
̺̺ Exercise p1179
̺̺ HW: Revise magnetic force
11 ̺̺ Test: Definition force, measurement, gravity, friction, magnetic force Internet
̺̺ Discuss: Balanced forces p180
̺̺ Activity: Use force diagrams to explain a car getting faster, at constant
speed, slowing down p180
̺̺ Internet: How do aircraft wings create lift? p181
̺̺ Exercise p181
̺̺ HW: Complete exercise as necessary and revise forces
12 ̺̺ Test: Definition force, measurement, gravity, friction, magnetic force,
balancing forces
̺̺ Discuss: Unbalanced forces p182
̺̺ Activity: Draw force diagram of falling diagram p182
̺̺ Activity: Use force diagrams to explain an object falling faster, at constant
speed, still on the ground p183
̺̺ Exercise p183
̺̺ Discuss: Simple machines - the wheel p184
̺̺ Discuss: Simple machines - the pulley p185
̺̺ Exercise p185
̺̺ HW: Complete exercises as required
13 ̺̺ Test: Definition force, measurement, gravity, friction, magnetic force, Equipment for
balancing forces, simple machines levers activity
̺̺ Discuss: Levers - first class lever p186
̺̺ Discuss: Levers - second class lever p187
̺̺ Discuss: Levers - third class lever p187
̺̺ Activity: First class lever p186
̺̺ Activity: Second class lever p187
̺̺ Exercise p187
̺̺ HW: Complete exercises as required, revise simple machines/levers
14 ̺̺ Test: Simple machines and levers
̺̺ Discuss: Ramps p188
̺̺ Activity: Calculate mechanical advantage p188
̺̺ Discuss: Wedges and screws p189
̺̺ Exercise p189
̺̺ HW: Complete exercises & revise simple machines
15 ̺̺ Test: Simple machines, levers, ramps, wedges, screws
̺̺ Discuss: Wheel and gears p190
̺̺ Discuss: Pulleys
̺̺ Exercise p191
̺̺ HW: Complete exercises as required & challenge p190
Page 4 of 5
Chapter 8 Forces (4 weeks)
Lesson Method Resources
16 Science inquiry
̺̺ Group selection of an inquiry question from p193
̺̺ Group conduction of an investigation to answer the question.
17 ̺̺ Continuation of investigation
̺̺ Write report (samples on p21 and p25)
̺̺ HW: Complete report as required
18 Chapter Review and Task
̺̺ Exercise p194 and p195
̺̺ Puzzles p197
̺̺ Begin work on ‘A Task’ p171
̺̺ HW: Complete exercises & work on task as required
19 Chapter Review and Task
̺̺ Exercise p196 and p198
̺̺ Continue work on ‘A Task’ p171
̺̺ HW: Complete exercises & work on task as required
20 Chapter Review and Task
̺̺ Competition questions p199
̺̺ Harder test questions p200
̺̺ Preparation for test
̺̺ Continue work on ‘A Task’ p171
̺̺ HW: Complete exercises & work on task as required
21 ̺̺ End of chapter/unit test
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