Learning Area (Te Arotanga Marautanga):

Date:

Science: Forces and Motion - Levers

May 2016

Lesson 1 of 3

Curriculum Achievement Objective(s): Level Key Competency

2 (Whinga Paetae):
Nature of Science (NoS):
Investigating in Science: Extend their experiences
and personal explanations of the natural world
through exploration, play, asking questions, and
discussing simple models.

(Te tino Pkenga):

Select ONE

Participating and contributing

Physical World:
Explore everyday examples of physical phenomena,
such as movement, forces, electricity and magnetism,
light, sound, waves and heat.

Learning Intentions/Learning Outcomes

WALT

(E ako ana mtau): We are learning about features of

levers and how we can use levers to lift objects more
Levers can make it easier to move objects they seem easily.
to be force magnifiers.
(Ng

Whinga P):

Levers have two arms and a point where they pivot.

It is easier to lift an object using a lever when the
object is closer to the pivot point.

Bicultural Perspective(Kkano Ruatanga):Mori cultural

value explored /encouraged or related content

Awhina: helping each other

Success Criteria (Paearu Angitu):

Demonstrate understanding that levers have two arms
and a point where they pivot and levers make it easier
to lift a load.
Demonstrate understanding that when a brick is closer
to the pivot point it is easier to lift using the lever.

Resources and Organisation

(Rauemi Whakarite):

Bricks, planks, wooden blocks. Cardboard box with

weight in it.
Lesson Duration
60mins

Assessment Methods

(Tikanga Aromatawai):

Select One

or add

observation of the learning

Teacher/Kaiako: Key teaching strategies to

develop new and/or reinforce understandings,
concept/s & skill/s.

Learners/Akonga: Key learning activities for

students, for the development of
understandings, concept/s & skill/s.

Introduction
(Te Timatanga)

Engage:

You will need: a cardboard box with weight in it to

make it heavy. Ask two or three volunteers to
come up the front one at a time and try to nudge
the box (or try to lift it carefully without hurting
Volunteers come up and test the weight of the
themselves). Ask the volunteers each if the box
heavy box.
seems heavy and if they think it would be hard to
lift. Advise that today we are going to figure out a
way to lift the heavy box easily without it seeming
heavy.

To catch the
childrens
attention/make
connections/activa
te prior knowledge

Development

Explore:

(Whakawhanake)

Carry out BSC Bikes pg. 13 Section 3 Activity 1:

Introductory ideas about levers. You will need:
planks, wooden blocks, bricks.

Input (including
information intake /
use of resources)

Processing/
Thinking /Making
sense of new
information

Take children outside and divide them into pairs.

Begin by giving them the brick only. Instruct them Children in pairs take turns to lift the brick.
to lift the brick and think about how easy or hard
it is to lift. Teacher gives children plank and block
of wood and instructs them in their pairs to
Output/ Sharing

discuss other ways to lift the brick using the block

new
and plank.
understandings
Children work in pairs using a plank and a block of
wood to figure out how to lift the brick in a way
Organisation of

other than picking it up.

students
Teacher moves discussion toward the
Key

construction of a lever using the plank and block.

questions/Thinking
Children place brick at one end of their plank.
prompts
Children make predictions about what will happen
when a downward force is applied to the free end
Formative feedback Explain:

of the plank.
opportunities
Teacher stops class for discussion. Asks questions
Effective pedagogy
such as Does using the plank to lift the brick
make it easier or harder to lift? Can you think of
any other things in real life that work similar to
this?... any objects in the playground?.
Children raise hands and answer questions.
Check children are showing awareness that levers
make it easier to move things. Place the heavy
box from the beginning at one end of the plank
and get a couple of volunteers to lift it using the
lever.

Volunteers lift heavy box using the plank lever by

pushing down on the free end.

Explain about the different parts of this type of

lever: effort
point, load and pivot point (fulcrum). What do
you think
would happen if the brick was closer to the pivot?
Would it be
easier or harder to lift?.

Expand:
Activity adapted from BSC Bikes pg. 14 Section 3
Activity 2: The

Children write down a prediction in their book.

Children explore the brick distance from the pivot
point and record observations in their book.

pivot near or far? Instruct children to write down

a
prediction in their book if it will be harder or
easier to lift the
brick if it is close or far away from the pivot. Get
children to try
it out and experiment if it is easier or harder to lift
the brick
when it is far away from the pivot, halfway to the
pivot or very
close to the pivot. Get children to record
observations in their
books. Children can add an extra brick if they
want also.

Evaluate:
Get the children in pairs to combine with another

Children listen to another groups findings and

present their findings.

pair and
present their predictions and findings.

Closure
(Te Whakamutunga)

Review learning /
reflection /
application of new
ideas / next
learning steps

Gather children back on the matt. Review main

parts of the plank and brick lever. Explain that
Children contribute to brainstorm.
there are different types of levers that look a bit
different. Brainstorm on board things that are
levers in real life. Have pictures of lever examples
(seesaw, scissors, shovel, wheelbarrow, crowbar,
nutcracker etc) and stick these on the brain
storm.

Relate recap to success

criteria

Evaluation of learning (Aromatawai)

How well have the LI/LOs/WALTs been met?

Evaluation of planning and teaching

(Aromatawai)
What worked well in planning & teaching?

What went well for learners? What challenges occurred for

learners?

Next Learning Step for students in this area:

What challenges occurred in planning & teaching?

Next step to improve planning and teaching in

this area: