Push It Pull It Move It

Audience: Prep to Year 4
Duration: There are three components, please allow 30 minutes per component. Plus there is additional time to explore the museum. More below. 
Curriculum: Science - Physical and Chemical Sciences | Technologies - Design and Technologies | Mathematics - Measurement and Geometry
Availability: Monday - Thursday Terms 1 - 4, weeks 2 - 9.

In this STEM program, students investigate push and pull forces and motion in rail-related contexts. There are four components to this program:

  1. An interactive presentation led by a Museum Learning Officer where students identify and interpret forces in the railways using object and images from the Museum collection (30 minutes)
  2. A special Maker Space Challenge, Move It! where students design and build a device that picks something up and moves it…without using their hands! (30 minutes)
  3. Hands-on exploration and investigation of forces in the railways and other contexts in our interactive Sciencentre (30 minutes)
  4. A self-guided ‘scavenger hunt’ that will get your students thinking critically while exploring objects to identify and describe push and pull forces and motion

 Students will

  • Engage in guided discussions about push and pull forces and motion using a range of Museum photos and objects to share their understanding and ideas
  • Examine authentic machinery and other rail-related objects to develop an understanding of forces and motion
  • Identify energy sources and transfer in locomotives and how this has changed over time
  • Participate in an open-ended design challenge
  • Understand how push and pull forces can affect the movement of an object and how the shape and size of an object can impact its motion
  • Work collaboratively on their Scavenger Hunt task

Learning Outcomes

  • Knowledge and understanding: Building an understanding of physical forces and how they can be applied to real-life scenarios and design solutions 
  • Skills: Observing, interpreting and identifying familiar and unfamiliar objects; developing skills in design thinking, following the processes of thinking, making, testing, and improving
  • Behaviour and progression: Understanding how to use the design process to create solutions to design challenge; applying new understandings of STEM concepts in everyday lives
  • Enjoyment, Inspiration and Creativity: Using creativity to develop unique solutions to a challenge; finding inspiration from real world objects to meet the design challenge and develop understanding of forces and motion
  • Attitudes and values: Recognising the importance of understanding of physical forces and how they can be applied to real-life scenarios; recognising the role of design and technology in finding solutions to real-life problems; increasing confidence in own ideas and creations, taking creative risks and testing out ideas

Session Details

  • Program led by Museum staff
  • $6.00 per student. Supervising adults FREE
  • Minimum 10 students

Group Visit Information

For information on booking a group into a program and additional information for your visit, go to the Planning your school visit page. Groups will be allocated time for self-guided Museum exploration during school program rotation.