Spring Term Science: Making Forces and Motion Come Alive

Spring term science (January 2027) offers the perfect opportunity to teach forces and motion—a core KS2 concept that builds understanding of how the physical world works. From gravity and friction to air resistance and real-world applications, forces shape everyday life. Experiments, investigations, and practical exploration transform abstract forces into visible, measurable phenomena that pupils can observe and test.

Forces often feel intangible to young learners. But when pupils drop different objects, roll balls down ramps, build parachutes, and test friction with toy cars, forces become knowable and predictable—building confidence in scientific inquiry.

Gravity: The Force That Holds Us Down

Gravity is the force that pulls objects toward Earth and keeps planets in orbit. For primary pupils, focus on observable effects: Things fall when dropped. Heavier objects feel heavier because gravity pulls on their mass. Explore this through investigation: Do heavier objects fall faster? Drop a tennis ball and a feather together (they fall at the same rate, but air resistance affects the feather). Drop the feather inside a tube or sealed plastic bag with air removed (now they fall together at the same rate). This counterintuitive result sparks discussion: What's different? Air resistance slowed the feather, not gravity. Continue exploration: Do all objects experience the same gravitational pull, or does mass matter? Use Newton's Laws at a level Y5–6 pupils can grasp: larger masses experience stronger gravitational force, but all objects accelerate at the same rate under gravity alone.

Friction: Resistance and Motion

Friction is the force that opposes motion when two surfaces rub together. It's everywhere: brake pads on bicycles, soles of shoes, the drag on a sliding box. Investigate friction systematically. Pull toy cars across different surfaces (carpet, tile, grass, sand) and measure how far they travel before stopping. Which surface creates the most friction? Why? Rough surfaces create more friction than smooth ones. Test the effect of different weights: add masses to the car and see how friction increases with load. Discuss everyday applications: Why do athletes wear spikes for grip? Why do roads get slippery in the rain (water reduces friction)? Why is friction sometimes helpful (walking, writing, holding) and sometimes something we want to reduce (machinery, sliding)?

Air Resistance and Parachute Experiments

"Air resistance isn't just an obstacle to overcome—it's a force that can slow a fall, stabilise a flight, and demonstrate Newton's principles in action."

Air resistance (drag) is the force exerted by air on moving objects. Make this visible through parachute experiments. Drop an object with and without a parachute (plastic bag, cloth, paper). The parachute increases surface area, creating more air resistance, slowing the fall. Experiment with parachute size: bigger parachutes slow objects more. Test different materials: which creates the most resistance? Design parachutes for toy figures and test drops from increasing heights. Document observations: Does mass matter? Does shape matter? Does material matter? This hands-on investigation builds understanding that air resistance increases with speed, surface area, and—for some shapes—surface texture. Y5–6 pupils can discuss terminal velocity: eventually the force of air resistance equals the force of gravity, and an object stops accelerating and falls at constant speed.

Real-World Physics and Investigation Skills

Connect forces to the real world. How do Formula 1 cars use aerodynamics to reduce air resistance and increase grip? How do skiers tuck to reduce air resistance and go faster? Why do heavy trucks brake differently from cars? Why can't swimmers move as fast through water as runners on land (water provides greater resistance than air)? Plan investigations: pose questions, predict outcomes, test systematically, record results, draw conclusions. Use scientific language: force, motion, speed, acceleration, friction, gravity, resistance. Create fair tests: change one variable (surface texture, parachute size, object mass) while keeping others constant. Record data systematically and explain patterns. This investigative approach—asking questions, testing hypotheses, interpreting data—is central to scientific thinking and the National Curriculum's emphasis on scientific enquiry.

Bring It to Life with a Workshop

A hands-on forces and motion workshop provides structured investigation, expert guidance, and challenging experiments that deepen pupils' understanding and build confidence in scientific thinking.