This term our topic is ‘Rocks, Relics and Rumbles’.  In the Forces and Magnets project, children will learn what forces are and what they do. They will learn about pushing and pulling forces and sort different actions into pushes and pulls. Also, they will identify and explain contact forces, this will be consolidated by investigating frictional forces. We will use force meters to measure the forces needed to carry out everyday tasks and record their measurements. Later in the term, they will learn about magnetism (a non-contact force) and explore bar magnets. Through practical investigations we will find out about magnetic attraction, repulsion and magnetic fields. They will test the magnetic properties of different objects and learn about the magnetism of the Earth and how this enables compasses to work. They will use this knowledge to make compasses. In conclusion to the topic, children will learn about the uses of friction and magnetism and carry out research. To conclude, they will use different methods to investigate the strength of magnets. To find out more, view our Forces and Magnets Knowledge Organiser
Forces and Magnets Lesson Overview
| Lesson | Learning focus |
| 1 | What is a force? |
| 2 | Points of contact |
| 3 | Frictional forces |
| 3 | Exploring force meters |
| 4Â & 5 | Measuring and recording frictional forces |
| 6 | Magnetic forces |
| 7 | Exploring magnets |
| 8 | Magnetic fields |
| 9 | Grouping and sorting magnetic materials |
| 10 | Magnetic Earth |
| 11 | Uses of magnetic friction |
Other helpful documents
Forces and Magnets Vocabulary Mat