Physical Sciences
How Objects Move
Students roll differently shaped objects, race a balloon-powered car, drop parachutes, launch foam pump rockets, and test what sinks or floats, exploring how pushes and pulls drive every outcome.
Foundation–2
90 min
up to 30 students
$490 + GST
What students will do
Students begin by rolling and sliding differently shaped objects toward a target, observing how shape affects movement and control. They then experiment with a balloon car powered by released air pressure, comparing how the amount of air affects speed and distance. Working in pairs, students drop a figure with and without a parachute to investigate air resistance, then take turns launching pump rockets. The session closes with a whole-group sink-or-float investigation using materials of similar volume, a Cartesian diver and a plasticine ball shaped into a boat.
Curriculum outcomes
Victorian Curriculum v2.0 content descriptions addressed in this session.
- VC2S2U10
Investigate how the size and shape of an object affects the way it moves, including rolling, sliding and floating
- VC2S2U11
Use pushes and pulls to change the speed and direction of moving objects, including balloon-powered cars and foam pump rockets
Test the buoyancy of a range of materials and shapes, and connect observations to predictions about what makes objects sink or float
Often booked alongside
Physical Sciences
Electricity
Students build working circuits, classify conductors and insulators, compare series and parallel configurations, and investigate how different energy sources (including hand-powered generators) produce electricity.
Physical Sciences
Force & Motion
Students measure forces with a spring balance, test friction across surfaces, feel inertia first-hand, launch reaction rockets, and explore magnetism and static electricity.
Physical Sciences
Heat & Energy
Students investigate how heat moves by observing convection currents, comparing conduction through plastic and metal using an infrared thermometer, and testing how insulators slow heat transfer.
Bring How Objects Move to your school
Tell us your year levels and preferred dates. We'll confirm availability and bring everything with us.
Limited dates each term — one facilitator, one school per day.