Year 4 Science - Physical Science Forces - Australian Curriculum

Teach forces with confidence using this engaging Year 4 Physical Science unit on forces and interactions, fully aligned to the Australian Curriculum and including a WA curriculum planner. Across 10 carefully structured lessons, students investigate how forces can be exerted through direct contact or from a distance, developing a strong conceptual understanding through hands-on experiments and guided inquiry.

Designed to be taught over a full term, this 10-lesson unit includes all lesson resources — worksheets, posters, planning tools and assessment supports — so you can focus on teaching, not preparation.

An editable planner is included with clear Australian Curriculum links and a resources-needed column, making planning straightforward and flexible for your classroom needs.

Each lesson is simple, clear and time-efficient, broken into five to six concise steps. Explicit instructions highlight key learning points, allowing you to maximise student engagement while making the most of each learning opportunity.

True to Mrs Amy123’s approach, this unit is fun, engaging and highly interactive, incorporating a wide range of cooperative learning strategies. While many lessons include worksheets, others intentionally do not, prioritising discussion, investigation and collaboration. Students participate in hands-on whole-class and small-group experiments to explore forces in meaningful, real-world contexts.

The unit also includes an editable grading guide, outlining what achievement looks like from A–E based on two assessment activities within the unit. This guide is directly linked to the Year 4 Science Achievement Standard, ensuring assessment is clear, consistent and curriculum-aligned.

Included resources:

• Editable Planner (7 pages)

• Resources and Worksheets + Answer Keys (46 pages)

• Editable Grading Guide (1 page)

• Editable learning intentions and success criteria

Outcomes covered:

Physical Sciences:
· Forces can be exerted by one object on another through direct contact or from a distance (ACSSU076)

Forces are exerted by one object on another through direct contact, such as friction, or from a distance, such as magnetism and gravity (WA4SSUP1) (WA curriculum)

Science Endeavour:
· Science involves making predictions and describing patterns and relationships (ACSHE061)
· Science knowledge helps people to understand the effect of their actions (ACSHE062)

Inquiry Skills:
· With guidance, identify questions in familiar contexts that can be investigated scientifically and predict what might happen based on prior knowledge (ACSIS064)
· With guidance, plan and conduct scientific investigations to find answers to questions, considering the safe use of appropriate materials and equipment (ACSIS065)
· Consider the elements of fair tests and use formal measurements and digital technologies as appropriate, to make and record observations accurately (ACSIS066)
· Use a range of methods including tables and simple column graphs to represent data and to identify patterns and trends (ACSIS068)
· Compare results with predictions, suggesting possible reasons for findings (ACSIS216)
· Reflect on the investigation, including whether a test was fair or not (ACSIS069)
· Represent and communicate ideas and findings in a variety of ways such as diagrams, physical representations and simple reports (ACSIS071)

→ Please note, other than where stated, this product is not editable.

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