Worked example
Question: What happens if you push the same toy car harder on the same floor? It will usually move farther because the push is stronger while the object and surface stay the same.
Learning goals
A push or pull can change how an object moves or changes shape. The effect depends on the force direction and strength.
Learning routine: Name force → Show direction → Compare strength → Predict effect → Test
Success looks like
- Identify pushes
- Identify pulls
- Describe strength
- Show direction
- Predict motion or shape
Concept model and worked application
Force has direction and strength
push →← pullgentlestrong
A stronger push may move an object farther. A different direction can change where it goes.
Predict motion or shape before testing
push ballpull drawersquash claystretch band
Say the force, direction, strength and predicted effect.
Explain your thinking: Say what each part of the model represents, then explain why the answer or conclusion follows.
Change one feature of a push
Describe pushes and pulls by strength and direction, then predict an effect.
Worked example
The same toy car starts at rest on the same smooth floor. Compare a gentle forward push with a stronger forward push.
- Name what stays the same: car, floor, starting place and forward direction.
- Name what changes: the strength of the push.
- Predict that the stronger push can make the car start moving faster. Test gently with clear space and observe what actually happens.
Watch for this mistake: A push does not always speed an object up. A push opposite its motion can slow it, and a sideways push can change its direction.
Try it, then explain
You press a soft sponge between your hands. What changes: its shape or only its colour?
Hint
Describe what you can observe.
Answer and explanation
Its shape changes because the pushes compress it.
A rolling ball is gently pushed from the side. What might change?
Hint
Consider the direction of the new push.
Answer and explanation
The ball's direction may change.
Australian Curriculum elaborations
These curriculum examples extend the central model into varied contexts. They are learning contexts, not extra definitions to memorise.
E1
observing and manipulating everyday objects such as playground equipment, toys, windows or doors and identifying the forces used to move these objects
Try and explain: You move a toy wagon towards yourself using its handle. Is that a push or a pull?
Answer and teaching point
A pull: the handle is used to bring the wagon towards you.
E2
investigating how the design of age-appropriate sporting equipment such as paddles, plastic bats and racquets help to produce stronger pushes and pulls
Try and explain: A plastic paddle strikes a soft ball. What force does the paddle apply, and what could change if the strike is stronger?
Answer and teaching point
It pushes the ball away. A stronger strike may make the ball start faster or travel farther if other relevant conditions are alike.
E3
recognising that pushing or pulling on an object can start or stop its motion or change its direction of travel
Try and explain: A rolling ball meets your gently placed hand and stops. Did the force have an effect even though the ball ended still?
Answer and teaching point
Yes. A force changed its motion by slowing and stopping it; forces do not only start movement.
E4
exploring ways the shape of playdough can be changed when pushed or pulled
Try and explain: Press a lump of playdough flat, then gently stretch it. Describe the two actions and their effects.
Answer and teaching point
Pressing is a push that flattens it. Stretching involves pulling parts apart, making it longer or thinner.
E5
designing playground equipment, toys or games and representing push and pull forces involved using models, digital drawings or role-play
Try and explain: Draw a toy car with an arrow showing a push from left to right. What does the arrow communicate?
Answer and teaching point
It shows the direction of the push. Label it ‘push’; an arrow alone should not be confused with a guarantee of how far the car will travel.
E6
investigating the push and pull movements of traditional First Nations Australians children’s instructive toys
Cultural safety: Use a community-approved source, name the specific Nation or community where the source does, and avoid presenting diverse First Nations knowledges as one generic tradition. Follow local cultural and intellectual property protocols before inviting community participation.
E7
exploring how traditional Asian toys and games such as a kendama, Daruma Otoshi or shuttlecock are played using a push or pull
Try and explain: A foot strikes a soft shuttlecock upwards. Is the strike a push or a pull? Explain using its direction.
Answer and teaching point
It is a push away from the foot. The contact force changes the shuttlecock's motion.
Common misconceptions and traps
- Forgetting direction — Use an arrow to show where the force acts.
- Only saying move — Forces can also change shape, not only position.
- Unfair comparison — Keep the object and surface the same when comparing strength.
Guided learning activities
Force arrows
Draw arrows to show the direction of pushes and pulls on classroom objects.
Model: push → box
Gentle vs strong
Compare a gentle push and a strong push on the same toy car.
Model: same car • same surface • different strength
Change shape
Use soft material to test how pushing, squeezing or pulling can change shape.
Model: clay: round → flat
Revision Notes
Key idea: A push or pull can change how an object moves or changes shape. The effect depends on the force direction and strength.
Remember
- Identify pushes
- Identify pulls
- Describe strength
- Show direction
- Predict motion or shape
Quick questions
- Is opening a drawer usually a push or pull?
- How can you show force direction?
- What might a strong push do to a toy car?
- Name one force that changes shape.
Return to the concept model if an answer is uncertain. Use the model to explain, not just to guess.
Official curriculum reference
AC9S1U03: describe pushes and pulls in terms of strength and direction and predict the effect of these forces on objects’ motion and shape
Practice, test and teacher resources
Use the Practice Sheet for written or hands-on work, Practice for supported feedback, and Test when the student is ready to demonstrate independent mastery.
🎥 Optional Video Lesson
The SkillrHub lesson remains the primary learning resource. This optional video reinforces the explanation; you can complete the lesson and practice without watching.
Before you watch:
- Pause after each worked example.
- Try the examples yourself.
- Return to the SkillrHub lesson before continuing.
Recommended: Swings, Slides, and Science
SciShow Kids — Spot pushes and pulls in familiar playground movement.
As you watch: Find a push. How does it change the movement of the object?
Load video player Loads YouTube in this lesson. See the video notice below.
Try it: Gently push a toy car, then try a stronger push in the same clear space. Predict and compare how far it travels.
Video unavailable, inaccurate or unsuitable for this year? Report a video problem to SkillrHub by email. You can continue with the written lesson and practice resources.
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Curriculum equivalents: Victoria, NSW and international
Curriculum equivalents for Pushes and pulls
Mapped skill: describe pushes and pulls in terms of strength and direction and predict the effect of these forces on objects’ motion and shape
These references identify matching or closely related learning. Curriculum sequence, terminology and depth vary, so teachers should use the mapped skill and lesson difficulty to confirm suitability.
| Region | Curriculum framework | Closest level or code |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Australian Curriculum v9.0 | AC9S1U03 · Year 1 |
| Victoria | Victorian Curriculum F–10 Version 2.0 — Science | VC2S2U11 · Foundation–Level 2 |
| New South Wales | NSW Science and Technology K–6 Syllabus (2024) | ST1-SCI-01 · Stage 1 |
| United States (USA) | Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) | Grade 1 |
| Canada (Ontario) | Ontario Curriculum — Science | Grade 1 |
| United Kingdom (England) | National Curriculum in England — Science | Year 2, Key Stage 1 |
| India | NCERT / CBSE — Science | Class 1 |
Australian Curriculum v9.0 is the canonical source for this SkillrHub lesson. Victoria and NSW entries name the closest published state codes or outcomes; international entries are planning references rather than claims of identical curricula.
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Topic reference: AC9S1U03 — Pushes and Pulls
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