Push, Pull, Play - Year 1 Science Unit Plan

Help children explain the effects of pushes and pulls through prediction, safe comparisons and real evidence. Learners investigate starting and stopping, action direction, gentle and stronger safe pushes, and a short soft-playdough shape change. They plan useful consistent conditions, record repeated trolley trials, discuss patterns and surprises, and apply their evidence to a nearby delivery target and a teacher-controlled cardboard toy drawer.

Teach the full sequence as ten 60-minute lessons, each with its own complete editable PowerPoint. The eight-session route integrates Lessons 1–2 and 9–10 using explicit slide-selection instructions, retaining the essential teaching, investigation, assessment and safe transfer.

What's included

• Unit Plan PDF — 43 pages, including contents, preparation and safety, participation and assessment guidance, ten timed lesson plans, the compact route and response criteria.
• Ten separate editable lesson PPTX files — 85 slides total.
• Editable quiz PPTX — 24 slides, with ten questions and immediate answer slides, instructions, reflection and closing.
• Two colour displays.
• Eight Motion Case Cards on two sheets.
• Evidence Trail cooperative game — rules, board and eight challenge cards.
• Ten black-and-white student worksheets.
• Two red fixed-answer companions immediately after W01 and W03; teacher criteria for open investigation responses.
• Motion Investigation assessment — two pages.
• Motion Investigation rubric — four dimensions, with Developing, Secure and Extending evidence descriptors.
• Complete Preview PDF — 152 pages.
• Table of Contents JPG.

Lesson Sequence:

1. Push or pull

2. Starting and stopping, including shape

3. Direction matters

4. Gentle and stronger

5. A fair comparison

6. Try and record

7. Patterns and surprises

8. Design a delivery action

9. Motion investigation report

10. New situation

Classroom use

Use checked toy equipment, a short clear level lane, a soft end barrier and large equal-size blocks. Teacher guidance describes safe demonstrations and approval of investigation plans. All actual-result tables are blank. Hand pushes vary, and surprising results are kept.

Children can demonstrate the same learning through pointing, gestures, picture choices, communication boards or devices, drawing, speech, writing or adult transcription. Where useful, record counts or marker positions digitally. Assessment combines real records, observation and a short conference; the quiz provides an additional concept check.

Curriculum Links:

Australian Curriculum Version 9 — Year 1 Science.

AC9S1U03: effects of pushes and pulls on motion and shape.

AC9S1H01: observations and patterns used for everyday predictions and decisions.

AC9S1I01: questions and predictions.

AC9S1I02: safe guided investigation procedures.

AC9S1I03: actual observations and informal measurement; digital recording where useful.

AC9S1I04: sorting and comparing observations and information.

AC9S1I05: comparing observations with predictions and posing further questions.

AC9S1I06: communicating observations, findings and explanations.

This is focused unit coverage rather than a whole-year achievement-standard assessment.

Formats

PDF; editable PPTX lesson and quiz files; JPG contents image. Student worksheet, display, card, game, assessment and rubric artwork is finished raster content in the Unit Plan PDF.

Answer Information:

Fixed-answer companions are supplied for W01 action identification and W03 direction arrows. Practical trials, designs, explanations and further questions have teacher response criteria and remain unfilled for actual learner evidence. Quiz answer slides follow each question.

Categories:

Year 1; Science; Physical Sciences; Unit Plans

Licence

Use in accordance with Sukindi's supplied licence.