Year 5 Forces

Take your Year 5 class outdoors to investigate forces through hands-on experiments with air resistance, friction, water resistance, and simple machines. Pupils will develop key scientific inquiry and problem-solving skills while exploring, testing, and observing in a fun, memorable, and natural setting.

Lesson Plans

Investigating air resistance

Take your Year 5 class outdoors for an exciting science lesson as they investigate the effects of air resistance. Through hands-on activities building and testing gyrocopters, pupils will develop key scientific inquiry skills and deepen their understanding of forces in a fun and memorable way.

Learning objective:

To investigate the effects of air resistance.

Linking the effects of air resistance to real life scenarios

Unlock the secrets of air resistance and gravity with this exciting outdoor science investigation. This hands-on experience not only makes learning forces fun but also cultivates a deeper appreciation for nature and fosters essential investigative abilities!

Learning objective:

To investigate the effects of air resistance on falling objects.

Exploring friction

Investigate the fascinating world of friction with this engaging outdoor science lesson, where you’ll conduct exciting challenges and hands-on experiments with everyday materials. This activity will help you understand how to reduce friction and its effects, developing crucial scientific inquiry skills while exploring the great outdoors!

Learning objective:

To investigate friction.

Identifying effects of friction

Embark on an exciting outdoor investigation into water resistance by exploring how different shapes affect sinking and floating, and designing your own floating vessels! This hands-on lesson will not only deepen your understanding of forces but also enhance your scientific inquiry skills through fair testing and observation in a natural setting.

Learning objective:

To identify the effects of friction that act between moving surfaces.

Investigating water resistance

Combine the use of watercolour with the skill of drawing with oil pastels. As part of this outdoor lesson your children will be inspired by pieces of nature to improve their technique of drawing with oil pastels and then use their existing knowledge of watercolour to create a unique work of art.

Learning objective:

To investigate water resistance.

Understanding how levers and pulleys work

Unravel the mysteries of levers and pulleys in this exciting outdoor science lesson where you’ll get hands-on experience lifting heavy objects and building a minibeast hotel! This engaging activity not only teaches you how simple machines amplify force but also develops crucial scientific inquiry and problem-solving skills in a fun, natural setting.

Learning objective:

To understand how levers and pulleys work.

Before you get started

Safety and suistanability is super important!