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Integrated guide — How things moveYear 1 · T1 · Week 02 How Things Move

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Teacher copy: This page may include teaching prompts or answer keys. Answer keys in this public library can be viewed by anyone. Give learners a clean prompt, use checks as formative evidence, and change a case locally when prior access matters.

Version: v0.1, 29 September 2026. Five 35-minute sessions. Draft for educator, science, accessibility and local-syllabus review. A child predicts and observes safe, gentle pushes and pulls. The guide uses qualitative descriptions, not invented distance data or a claim that a small classroom trial proves a universal rule. Pair with daily mathematics and English, without turning science observations into a maths score.

National links: AC9S1U03 (describe pushes/pulls by strength and direction and predict effects on motion/shape); AC9S1I01 (question/predict); AC9S1I02 (safe procedures); AC9S1I03 (observations); AC9S1I05 (compare observations/predictions and fairness). Exact codes checked against the official ACARA v9 download, retrieved 29 September 2026, pinned workbook SHA-256 db446882d2c00cf7c085a03e250e2442fda6c44011fc114680c46c1dc7a822c3. This is partial practice, not full-year Science achievement. Check state/local syllabus.

Setup/safety: Use a lightweight blunt toy vehicle or block, a stable low table or floor mat with an adult-controlled boundary, removable paper start marker, and a soft sponge. Check toy/material safety, choking/latex/sensory plans, clear floor space and mobility routes. Never launch at people, use steep ramps, pull by neck/body/string, or require a child to exert force. An adult may move the object under a child's chosen direction and force word. Children can give predictions with gesture, sign, AAC, speech or selected cards. Describe what actually happened in this setup; never fill in a child observation from the teacher key.

Day 1 — Which action is a push or a pull?

Question: What happens when we gently act on the same object in two directions? 35 = 5 notice + 7 model + 12 try + 8 record/talk + 3 check.

  1. Notice 5: Show toy resting at a start line. Children predict movement after a gentle hand push and after a gentle hand pull; record both predictions separately.
  2. Model 7: Teacher gently pushes toy away, then resets and gently draws it toward self using the toy's safe handle/side. “A push is an action away from my hand here; a pull brings it toward my hand here.” Note viewpoint and actual movement.
  3. Try 12: At supervised stations, children choose push/pull or direct adult movement on same flat mat; no timed racing. Partner notes direction with an arrow. Repeat if one attempt was obstructed, recording why.
  4. Record/talk 8: Compare prediction and observation. A toy may not move if friction or too little force; that is valid data, not a wrong child answer.
  5. Check 3: Show teacher action and ask “push or pull; which way did this toy move?” Key: classify based on observed hand action and motion; if ambiguous, ask to replay slowly. Next: return to hand/object relation, not just arrow guessing.

Day 2 — Direction changes the path

Question: How can direction alter where the toy goes? 35 = 5 retrieve + 7 model + 12 try + 8 compare + 3 check.

  1. Retrieve 5: Show yesterday's arrows and ask which end was the start. Make a raised/tactile arrow available.
  2. Model 7: Same toy, mat and start mark. Teacher pushes gently toward two different safe directions one at a time. “I changed the direction of the action; I will watch the path.” Do not imply identical strength.
  3. Try 12: Children choose one of two arrows; teacher or child moves toy safely. Draw/lay a strip along actual path; if toy veers, record veer. Keep observer positions safe.
  4. Compare 8: Put path strips side by side. “Did the toy go where you predicted? What else may have changed?” Note uneven mat or different hand motion if present.
  5. Check 3: A child selects/draws an arrow from start toward one observed end. Key: arrow points in observed movement direction, not necessarily perfect straight line. Next: replay with a larger floor arrow if start/end reversed.

Day 3 — Gentle and firmer, with care

Question: Does a different push strength change what we see in this setup? 35 = 5 predict + 7 safety/model + 12 observe + 8 discuss + 3 check.

  1. Predict 5: Give choice cards “may travel farther,” “may travel about same,” “may not move.” Ask reason; any is a prediction.
  2. Model 7: Adult gives a gentle then slightly firmer controlled push to same toy at same start on same mat, toward an empty safe boundary. “Firmer” never means forceful. Demonstrate how hard it is to make human pushes exactly the same.
  3. Observe 12: Repeat two or three adult-controlled trials with removable end markers; children place chosen markers or dictate. Do not manufacture a result. If space lacks a safe end boundary, use a teacher-controlled tabletop demonstration with no child launches.
  4. Discuss 8: Compare observed end marks and predictions; ask what was held similar (toy, start, surface) and what may still differ (exact hand push). Avoid “always” claim.
  5. Check 3: “Name one thing we kept the same and one thing we changed.” Key: e.g. same toy/start/surface; changed gentle/firmer push. Next: show two setup cards and physically highlight the change.

Day 4 — A push or pull can change shape

Question: What happens to a soft sponge when we press or gently pull it? 35 = 5 notice + 7 model + 12 try + 8 compare + 3 check.

  1. Notice 5: Observe sponge's starting shape without asking children to use one descriptive word only; accept tactile outline/selected symbol.
  2. Model 7: Adult presses sponge gently on a stable tray and releases. “My push changed its shape while I pressed; after release it [report actual observation].” Then gently pull two sides only if material/safety permits.
  3. Try 12: Children or an adult under child direction press/release sponge and select “flatter,” “same,” “sprang back,” or their own observed description. Avoid compression for children with hand pain; use eye/tactile observation or adult action.
  4. Compare 8: Contrast toy motion with sponge shape; both can result from pushes/pulls, but not every push makes a visible shape change. Record one observation and one uncertainty.
  5. Check 3: “What changed when this sponge was pressed? Did it stay changed when released?” Key: report observed shape, with actual release outcome from this sponge. Next: repeat slowly and compare before/during/after outlines.

Day 5 — Tell a careful evidence story

Question: Which prediction matched, and was our comparison fair enough to trust? 35 = 5 review + 7 model + 12 choose/recheck + 8 share + 3 check.

  1. Review 5: Lay out original prediction cards and recorded arrows/end marks/shape notes. Label fictional examples as examples and child data as child data.
  2. Model 7: Teacher makes a three-part claim: “I predicted . We saw . I think ; I am unsure because .” E.g. exact human push may differ. Do not prescribe the result.
  3. Choose/recheck 12: Groups select one Day 1–4 question for a safe recheck. Name what should stay similar, then observe and record fresh evidence. Learner who cannot manipulate gives the plan and observation by accessible mode.
  4. Share 8: Present source (our toy/sponges and date), prediction, observation and one fair-test limitation. Peers ask one question. Audio/photo recording only if school consent/policy allows; paper marks suffice.
  5. Check 3: Ask each child “Which action did you use? What actually happened? What might make a repeat different?” Key: coherent action, observed outcome and plausible variable, not a fixed expected distance. Next: if prediction is repeated as fact, place prediction/observation cards in separate columns and redo one trial.

Original low-ink prediction and observation card

QUESTION: _______________________________________________
OBJECT / SURFACE / START: _________________________________
MY PREDICTION (before): __________________________________
ACTION: push / pull   DIRECTION: ← / → / other _________
STRENGTH WORD: gentle / slightly firmer / not compared
WHAT I OBSERVED (after): __________________________________
SAME IN BOTH TRIES: _______________________________________
WHAT MAY HAVE CHANGED: ____________________________________
MY NEXT QUESTION: _________________________________________
RESPONSE MODE / ADULT ACTION: ______________________________

Evidence boundary: Accurate reporting of an observed outcome and a sensible comparison matter more than a predicted “correct” result. Teacher checks whether a child separates action, direction, prediction and outcome. No numeric speed/distance key is supplied because no results were collected in this document.

Rights: Original guide/card © NeuroForgeIO Pty Ltd 2026, CC BY 4.0. Attribute SubjectNest Year 1 Australian-first starter, v0.1, source, license and changes. ACARA material remains separately under its terms; no endorsement. No third-party media. Educator/science/accessibility review pending.

Source: https://neuroforge.io/subjectnest/library/resources/year-1/term-1/week-02-how-things-move · Original material © NeuroForgeIO Pty Ltd 2026 · CC BY 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ · Credit the source and note changes. External sources keep their own terms.