Grade 3 Science · Alberta · Learning & practice

Playground Physics: Forces and Movement

Investigate how pushes, pulls, gravity, and friction change the way things move — all around the playground you already know.

Section 1 · Pushes and pulls

Forces are pushes and pulls

By the end of this section I can describe a force as a push or a pull and sort real playground actions into the two groups — so I can start to explain why things speed up, slow down, or change direction.

Success criteria 0 / 4 ticked

Tick each one when you can do it without help.

1A What is a force?

A force is a push or a pull that acts on something. You cannot see a force itself, but you can see what it does — it can make things start moving, stop moving, speed up, slow down, or change direction.

Two kinds of force

PushPull

A push moves something away from you. A pull brings something toward you. On a playground, you push a merry-go-round to spin it, and you pull a swing back before letting it go.

Sorting a playground action

Action: "A friend drags a wagon up the ramp."
Ask: does the wagon move away from me or toward me? toward
Answer: pull the wagon is being brought along, not pushed away

Check yourself

You give a stationary merry-go-round a shove to spin it. Is this a push or a pull?

Think about which way the merry-go-round moves compared to where you are standing.
You shove it away from your hands to spin it, so the force is a push.

You grab the swing's seat, draw it back toward your chest, then let go. Was drawing it back a push or a pull?

Notice whether the swing comes toward you or moves away from you.
Drawing the seat back brings it toward your chest, so that is a pull.

1B Sort the playground: push or pull?

Drag each action into the bin it belongs to. Some actions are pushes, some are pulls. Use the "Check my sort" button when you think you have them all.

Interactive · drag to sort

Push
← Pull

Drag from the pool below into the correct bin. Tap a card to move it back to the pool.

Check yourself

A force can make a stationary object do what? (One word for "begin to move" — the lesson lists it first.)

Recall the list of things a force can do — the very first one on the list.
A force can make a still object start moving (as well as speed up, slow down, stop, or change direction).

Section 2 · Forces around the playground

Gravity, friction, and what slows us down

By the end of this section I can name gravity and friction as forces and identify which force is at work in a playground scene — so I can explain why a swing comes back down and why a slide slows you to a stop.

Success criteria 0 / 4 ticked

Tick each one when you can do it without help.

2A Gravity: the pull toward Earth

Gravity is a force that pulls things toward Earth. When you let go of a swing at the top of its arc, gravity is what brings it back down. Gravity always pulls down.

Where you meet gravity

sliding downfalling off a barswing coming back

On a slide, gravity pulls you from the high end down to the low end. Without gravity, a swing would just keep going up and never come back.

Identifying the force

Scene: "A ball rolls off the top of the slide and drops to the ground."
Ask: what is pulling it downward? Earth's pull
Answer: gravity gravity always pulls things toward Earth

Check yourself

You let go of a swing at its highest point and it swings back down. Which force is mainly responsible?

Think about the force that always pulls things toward Earth.
The swing comes back down because gravity pulls it toward Earth.

Gravity always pulls things in which direction? (One word.)

Picture the way things fall — where do they always go?
Gravity always pulls things down, toward Earth.

2B Friction: the force that slows things

Friction is a force that happens when two surfaces rub together. It slows things down. When you slide on a slide, friction between you and the surface is what finally brings you to a stop at the bottom.

Friction helps and slows

grip on a barstopping at the bottomrough vs smooth

Friction is not always bad — it is what lets you grip the monkey bars so your hands do not slip. A rough surface makes more friction; a smooth, wet slide makes less.

Interactive · identify the force at work

Pick the force that best fits each scene. 0 / 4 identified.

Check yourself

A slide is rough and old. You come to a stop before reaching the bottom. Which force slowed you?

Two surfaces are rubbing against each other as you slide.
The rubbing between you and the slide is friction, and it slows you down.

Why can you grip the monkey bars without your hands slipping straight off? Which force helps you hold on?

Your hands and the bar are pressing and rubbing together.
The rubbing between your hands and the bar creates friction, which lets you grip.

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