Identifying Pushes and Pulls with Classroom Objects
About this lesson
Children watch the teacher move everyday objects, act out each motion with their bodies, and decide whether it is a push or a pull. In pairs, they then find one push and one pull in the room. It takes about 12 minutes and needs only the whiteboard and a few classroom objects.
- Grade
- 1
- Subject
- Science
- Time
- 12 min
- Prep
- 2 min
Objective
Students will identify a push as moving something away from themselves and a pull as moving something toward themselves, using everyday objects.
Prep
2 min: write PUSH and PULL as two headings on the whiteboard
Materials
- whiteboard and marker
- a chair
- a drawer or door
- a toy car or rolling pencil
Steps
- Push a chair away from you and say, 'A push moves something away from me.' Then pull it back and say, 'A pull moves something toward me.' Have children show a push (hands forward) and a pull (hands toward chest).
- Do five quick actions: open a drawer, close it, roll a toy car, tug the door open, and push the door shut. After each one, children show push or pull with their hands, and one child tells you which heading to write it under.
- Call out actions without objects, such as kicking a ball, opening a backpack zipper, pressing an elevator button, or pulling up socks. Children act out each one and then say 'push' or 'pull' together.
- Give pairs 3 minutes to find one push and one pull they can do safely in the classroom. Have a few pairs show theirs while the class decides which heading it goes under.
Quick Check
Point to a classroom object, such as a door or chair, and ask each child to tell a partner whether they would push or pull it to move it, and why.
Differentiation
Make it easier: Use only real objects, and let children copy your hand motions before they name push or pull.
Make it harder: Ask children to find an action that uses both a push and a pull, such as opening and closing a drawer or swinging on a swing.
Good For
- Transition time
- Before lunch
- Supply teacher
- Review
