Forces and Mechanisms
In term 1, our topic is “Forces and Mechanisms”. In the Forces and Mechanisms project, your child will revisit prior learning about forces, identifying what a force is and discussing the two types, including contact and non-contact forces. We will learn that gravity is a force of attraction and follow instructions to observe gravity in action. We will learn the meanings of the terms ‘mass’ and ‘weight’ and their units of measurement, following instructions to record the mass and weight of various everyday objects using a piece of equipment called a force meter. They will revisit learning about friction, discussing situations where it can be helpful or where we need to minimise its effects. They will learn about the frictional forces called air and water resistance in detail and conduct investigations to observe these frictional forces in action. They will learn about mechanisms, including gears, pulleys and levers and follow instructions to investigate how these simple machines use forces to make tasks easier. They will generate scientific questions they wish to study further on the theme of forces and mechanisms and research to find the answers. They will complete their learning by examining the forces involved in riding a bicycle and the parts that are gears, pulleys and levers. To find out more, view our Forces and Mechanisms Knowledge Organiser.
Forces and Mechanisms Lesson Overview
| Lesson |
Learning focus |
| 1 | Introduction to Forces and Mechanisms: Knowledge organiser and Contact and Non-Contact Forces. |
| 2 | Gravity |
| 3 | Mass and Weight |
| 4 | Friction |
| 5 | Air resistance |
| 6 | Water resistance |
| 7 | Levers, pulleys and gears |
| 8 | Levers, pulleys and gears. |
| 9 | Gears |
Other helpful documents: Forces and Mechanisms Glossary
Science: Earth and Space
In term 2 our topic is “Earth and Space”. In the Earth and Space project, your child will, we will learn the names of the planets in the Solar System before creating a model outdoors to describe its scale, movement and features. We will learn how scientists throughout history used different methods to study the Solar System and came to understand how the planets orbited the Sun. We will make a model and use it to explain the orbits of the Moon around the Earth and the Earth around the Sun. We will identify the spherical shape of the Sun, Earth and Moon. We will learn how people in ancient civilisations believed the Earth was flat and how evidence proved the Earth was a sphere. They will know that the Earth’s rotation creates a range of phenomena, including day and night and the appearance of the Sun rising above the horizon in the east at sunrise, moving across the sky and then setting below the horizon in the west at sunset, and use equipment to model these phenomena. We will learn that the Earth’s tilt and rotation as it orbits the Sun creates different seasons and day lengths in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres and the effect of similar amounts of direct sunlight all year round in the tropics. They will research the times of day on the Earth in different locations and describe how Earth’s rotation creates this phenomenon. They will learn about the Moon’s orbit and name and explain the eight phases of the Moon. They will research how solar and lunar eclipses occur and create labelled diagrams to show their findings. To find out more, view our Earth and Space Knowledge Organiser.
Earth and Space Lesson Overview
| Lesson |
Learning focus |
| 1 | Knowledge organiser and the solar system. |
| 2 | How do we know the sun is at the centre of the solar system? |
| 3 | The earth, sun and moon model |
| 4 | Planets and start are spherical |
| 5 | Daytime and night time and times of day around the world. |
| 6 | Day length and seasons |
| 7 | Phases of the moon, lunar and solar eclipse |
Other helpful documents: Earth and Space Glossary