Grade 1 Science Lesson Plan: Push and Pull

Learning Objectives

• Explain that a push moves something away and a pull moves it closer.
• Sort everyday actions into pushes and pulls.
• Show that forces can make things start, stop, speed up, slow down and change direction.
• Show that a force can change the shape of soft things (squash, stretch, twist).
• Find out that a bigger push makes a toy go farther, and that heavy things need a bigger force.

Lesson Procedure

• Read the overview and success criteria before teaching.
• Lesson 1 — Push or pull? (40 min): follow the stage table (warm-up, teach, practice, exit ticket).
• Lesson 2 — What can forces do? (40 min): follow the stage table (warm-up, teach, practice, exit ticket).
• Lesson 3 — Bigger pushes, heavier things (40 min): follow the stage table (warm-up, teach, practice, exit ticket).
• Use the matching PowerPoint, worksheet and assessment from this pack — the plan refers to their slide and part numbers.

Assessment

Exit tickets in each lesson. Observation during sorting and investigations. Worksheet Parts A–E with the answer key. Quick Quiz (6 marks) after lesson 2. Unit Test (16 marks) at the end (picture-based). Performance task (rubric): "Playground Forces" — show and say 4 pushes and pulls.

Differentiation

Support: Use actions and real objects for every word. Challenge: Find something that needs both a push and a pull (a swing, a zipper). English language learners: Teach push/pull with whole-body actions every lesson.

Classroom Activity Ideas

• Push and Pull Moves (5 minutes, Whole class): Call an action: "Open a door!", "Pull a rope!", "Kick a ball!" Children act it out.
• Car Ramp Race (15 minutes, Groups of 4): Let a car roll down the ramp onto a smooth floor; mark where it stops. Now put the carpet square at the bottom; mark again.
• Sorting Relay (10 minutes, Two teams): A child takes a card. They run and put it in the PUSH or PULL hoop.

Teacher Tips

Lots of movement: children learn forces with their bodies. Use the same two hand signs (palm out = push, fist pulling back = pull) all unit.

What's Included

• 4-page lesson plan (PDF + editable DOCX)
• Lesson 1 — Push or pull? (40 min)
• Lesson 2 — What can forces do? (40 min)
• Lesson 3 — Bigger pushes, heavier things (40 min)
• Key vocabulary table, materials list and success criteria
• Differentiation (support, challenge, English language learners)
• Common misconceptions with fixes, and teacher tips

Additional Files

• Grade 1 Science Lesson Plan: Push and Pull (DOCX)

Teacher Reviews