Lesson Plan: Force, Work, and Energy

 

Topic: Force, Work and Energy Class: IV (9–10 years old) Total Duration: 10 school days (40–45 min each) – now expanded with exact step-by-step procedure, dialogue ideas, board work, timing, and differentiated instructions

Day 1 – What is Force? (Push and Pull)

Total time: 45 min

  • 0–5 min Greeting + Hook Teacher enters carrying a big cardboard box that “won’t move.” Teacher: “This box is stuck! Can anyone help me move it?” Children come and push or pull → immediate discussion on push and pull.
  • 5–12 min Definition & Board Work Write in big letters: FORCE = A PUSH OR A PULL Draw two columns: PUSH ← → PULL Ask children to shout examples; teacher draws quick sketches (kicking ball → push, opening fridge → pull, etc.).
  • 12–25 min Action Time (Kinesthetic) Every child stands. Teacher calls actions; children perform: Push the air, pull an imaginary rope, push the floor to jump, pull your ears, push your friend’s shoulders gently, etc. Do 15 actions – lots of laughter.
  • 25–35 min Picture Sorting Children (in pairs) get 20 picture cards (printed or drawn) and sort into Push basket or Pull basket.
  • 35–42 min Notebook Work Draw two big hands on notebook page – one pushing, one pulling. Write 6 examples under each with tiny drawings.
  • 42–45 min Exit Ticket One sentence: “Force is …”

Homework: At home, take 10 photos or draw 10 actions (5 push, 5 pull) you see your family doing (opening door, riding cycle, etc.). Bring tomorrow.

Day 2 – Contact Forces vs Non-Contact Forces

45 min

  • 0–5 min Recap Game – “Push-Pull Dance Freeze” Music plays → children dance; when music stops teacher shouts “PUSH!” or “PULL!” – everyone freezes in that pose.
  • 5–15 min Introduce Contact & Non-Contact Teacher rubs hands fast → “I touched my hands, heat came → CONTACT FORCE” Drops a pencil → “I never touched the pencil while it was falling → NON-CONTACT FORCE”
  • 15–35 min Four Mini Experiments (rotate in 4 groups, 5 min each) Station 1: Friction – rub palms, slide book on rough vs smooth surface Station 2: Gravity – drop feather, stone, paper Station 3: Magnetism – magnets attract/repel nails through table, through hand Station 4: Muscular force – lift different bags
  • 35–42 min Notebook T-Chart Contact Forces  |  Non-Contact Forces (with drawings and 4 examples each)
  • 42–45 min Quick Quiz (oral) Teacher shows 8 pictures one by one – children shout “Contact!” or “Distance!”

Homework: Worksheet – 15 pictures to circle C or NC.

Day 3 – Effects of Force

45 min

  • 0–8 min Demo with toy car on table
    1. Push to start → starts motion
    2. Push opposite → stops
    3. Push lightly vs hard → change in speed
    4. Push side → change direction
    5. Squeeze soft ball → change shape
  • 8–15 min Board list Effects of force:
    1. Starts motion 2. Stops motion 3. Speeds up 4. Slows down 5. Changes direction 6. Changes shape
  • 15–30 min Tug-of-War (Balanced vs Unbalanced) 15 min) First round – equal 6 vs 6 → rope doesn’t move → balanced forces Second round – 8 vs 4 → rope moves → unbalanced forces Discuss loudly: “When forces are equal in opposite direction → no movement”
  • 30–42 min Four-panel comic strip in notebook Each panel shows one effect of force with caption.

Homework: Colour the comic strip beautifully.

Day 4 – Scientific Meaning of “Work”

45 min (most important day – go slow)

  • 0–10 min Two funny stories Story 1: Ravi pushes a wall for 1 hour → tired, but wall didn’t move → scientifically ZERO work Story 2: Sita lifts her bag from floor to desk → work done
  • 10–18 min Definition on board (with diagram) Work is done when:
    1. A force is applied AND 2. The object moves in the direction of force. Formula (only qualitative): Work = Force × Distance moved
  • 18–35 min Live Demonstrations & Class Voting Teacher performs 10 actions one by one (lifting book up, pushing table that doesn’t move, carrying bag horizontally, walking with heavy bag on head, etc.). Children hold green card = Work Done, red = No Work. Discuss every single one.
  • 35–42 min Notebook rule box + 3 examples each side Work Done  |  No Work Done

Homework: Big worksheet – 15 situations with pictures + reason in 1 line.

Day 5 – What is Energy? + Kinetic & Potential

45 min

  • 0–8 min Connect to yesterday “We need force to do work. But to apply force for a long time we need ENERGY.” Energy is the ability to do work.
  • 8–20 min Kinetic Energy Demo Rolling ball, running child, moving car → energy of motion = KINETIC ENERGY
  • 20–30 min Potential Energy Demo Book on table vs book lifted high, stretched rubber band, wound-up toy → stored energy = POTENTIAL ENERGY
  • 30–40 min Classify objects around room Teacher points to fan, clock, raised hand, pencil box on floor → children shout KE or PE.
  • 40–45 min Start colourful mind-map on new page titled “Forms of Energy”

Homework: Draw 6 objects with KE and 6 with PE from home (label clearly).

Day 6 – More Forms of Energy

45 min

Set up 6 stations (children rotate every 6 minutes)

  1. Light energy – torch, mirror reflection
  2. Sound energy – bell, whistle, rubber band guitar
  3. Heat energy – warm water bottle vs cold, hot tea cup (touch only)
  4. Electrical energy – battery + bulb circuit (safe)
  5. Chemical energy – food packets, lemon + copper coin experiment (optional)
  6. Magnetic energy – magnets lifting pins

Each station has a small recording sheet: “I saw … energy”

Last 10 min – add all new forms to the big class mind-map and individual notebooks.

Homework: Complete any unfinished station sheet + draw the 6 forms with one example each.

Day 7 – Energy Can Change Form (Transformation)

45 min

  • 0–12 min Candle demonstration (teacher only) Chemical energy in wax → heat + light energy
  • 12–25 min Five quick demos
    1. Wind-up toy: muscular → potential (spring) → kinetic
    2. Battery toy car: chemical → electrical → kinetic + sound
    3. Striking match (teacher): chemical → heat + light
    4. Dropping ball: potential → kinetic → sound
    5. Eating biscuit → chemical → muscular (child jumps)
  • 25–40 min Flow-chart activity Children choose any 5 everyday activities and draw energy transformation arrows Example: Sun → light → solar panel → electrical → fan → kinetic + sound

Homework: Make one large poster of any one energy transformation chain (A4 size, colourful).

Day 8 – Law of Conservation of Energy (Simple)

45 min

  • 0–10 min Magic trick Pendulum with heavy metal ball – show it always stops at same height on other side → energy never disappears, only changes form.
  • 10–35 min Story + video (3 min safe YouTube clip of roller coaster) Explain: “Energy is never created, never destroyed – it only changes form.” Children repeat the law together three times.
  • 35–45 min Gallery walk of yesterday’s posters + peer appreciation.

Day 9 – Fun Experiment Day (Application)

45 min – 60 min (can be double period)

Six hands-on stations (8–10 min each, groups rotate)

  1. Balloon rocket on string → force, work, kinetic energy
  2. Rubber-band powered cardboard boat/car → potential → kinetic
  3. Domino chain reaction → energy transfer
  4. Simple lever with ruler & weights → less force, more distance
  5. Dancing raisins in soda → chemical → gas → kinetic
  6. Make a thaumatrope (optical toy) → persistence of vision

Teacher takes photographs, children fill observation sheets.

Day 10 – Grand Review + Assessment

45 min

  • 0–15 min Kahoot / oral quiz (20 questions covering whole unit)
  • 15–35 min Individual written test (20 marks) Sections:
    • Match the columns (forms of energy)
    • True/False
    • Work or No Work (5 situations)
    • Draw one energy transformation
    • Define force, work, energy in own words