Forces and the outdoors

In term 5, Year 5 pupils have been studying forces in science; this was also a good opportunity to get outside in the good weather. First of all, pupils planned and conducted an investigation into spinners. They needed to choose their own independent variable and investigate the effect on air resistance. They noticed that the higher the spinner, the more air resistance as the longer it was in the air, and the heavier the spinner, the less air resistance as the spinner was able to push through the air easier. Pupils also used a Newtonmeter to observe the effect of friction when pulling a shoe along different surfaces in the wildlife area. They needed to make detailed observations as part of learning scientific skills. In our final lesson, when learning about levers, pupils made and tested catapults, which they made from lolly sticks. They found that a lever uses a pivot or fulcrum to turn a smaller force into a greater force. They have enjoyed learning about forces and being able to use the outdoor areas for learning.