This document outlines a science lesson plan focused on the concept of friction and its effects on the movement of objects for students aged 10-13. It includes activities such as designing a wheeled cart to explore friction dynamics and creating a balloon rocket to understand friction’s role in motion. The plan emphasizes hands-on learning, group brainstorming, and formal reporting to enhance students' understanding of force and motion.

1. Science Lesson Plan: Friction
How does friction effect the movement of an
object.
Key Learning
Areas
Science
Key Concepts Force and Motion, Friction
Age / Level
Age
10 - 13
USA
Yr 4 - 7
UK
KS-2
Australia
Yr 4 – 7
Duration Approx 2 – 3 90 minute lessons.
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2. Learning Intention / Overview
• Students will examine the effect friction has
upon moving objects
• Why does friction impede the free movement
of objects.
• What is the relationship between force and
friction.
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3. Resources Required
• Lesson 1
• Straws – For Axles
• Skewers – For Axles
• Hard Card - For wheels and Body
• Lids - For Wheels ( Optional )
• Sticky tape
• Lesson 2
• Balloons
• Straws
• Paper clips
• String or Fishing Line
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4. Introduction
• What happens when we rub our hands
together quickly? Test this with your students
and write up shared notes on the board.
• Explain to students that this phenomenon is
known as friction and it is both a very useful
and disruptive force.
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5. Comparing Friction
• Fact: A train has 7 times less rolling resistance
than a truck on a road and is a highly efficient
method of moving heavy goods long
distances. Essentially because it has a great
deal less friction impeding it than a truck.
• In small groups get students to brainstorm
why this is so for about 5 - 10 minutes and
then share results with whole class.
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6. Reason
• The train has a very minimal contact point
between the hard smooth steel rails and
wheels. This dramatically reduces friction.
• Conversely the truck has spongy rubber
wheels on a softer bitumen surface – thus
increasing friction.
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7. Activity One
• Now that Students have an understanding of this
principle their task is to design and create a 4
wheeled cart from your resources list with a focus
on creating free moving axles and wheels with
minimal contact points between the road and the
wheels.
• Their challenge is to see which cart can roll the
farthest down a slope. You may ask them to
actually carry an object or use specific resources
this is up to you.
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8. Activity One Reflection
• Get your students to take notes on why some carts
rolled further than others and how friction on some
cars was really helping or hindering them travelling a
longer distance.
– What were the wheels made from?
– Where the axles free moving?
– What size where the wheels?
– Was weight a factor? How & Why?
– And Finally how could you improve your cart so that next
time it would be even more successful.
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9. Lesson 2
• The second activity required students to create a
Balloon rocket on a String. Click here for a
detailed explanation of how to make these.
• Your Students will obviously be allowed to tweak
their rocket from the instructions provided to
reduce all friction by using things such as
paperclips and shortening the straws and any
other ideas they have.
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10. Lesson 2 - Reflection
• Students can write up a formal science report about
the balloon rocket using the following headings.
• AIM – What did we set out to achieve and what was
the purpose of doing it?
• Materials – What materials were used in performing
this experiment.
• Procedure – Include step by step instructions so that
the reader could replicate this experiment exactly.
• Conclusion – What was the finding of your experiment
and what would you alter next time?
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11. Taking it further
• As an extension task get your children to
research how we use friction to generate heat
and power.
• Get them to research and report on how this
can be used to power cars of the future (Read
this article.)
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