Level 3

Develop an understanding about common examples of forces and energy through investigating and describing ideas.
Explore and identify trends and relationships between easily observable forms of force and energy.
Investigate and describe how selected items of everyday technology work and affect our lives, for example, burglar alarms.
Students can examine the relationship between the length of a lever, the amount of force applied, the mass of the load, and the ease of movement.
Students can explore and explain how gears work in everyday items of technology and how they can enhance our lives.
In different pulley systems, students can explore the relationship between the force needed to lift a load to a given height and the length of rope that must be pulled through the pulley in order to do so.
Students can explore and describe ideas about how gravity affects the movement of an object down a slope.

Level 4

Investigate and offer explanations about common examples of forces and energy and compare their ideas with scientific ideas,
Use information to describe or confirm trends and relationships between observable forms of force and energy,
Investigate and explain how items of technology work and enhance everyday activities of people. For example, investigate how automatic doors work and make life easier.
Students can identify a lever, the fulcrum or pivot point, the load, the original applied forced, and the resulting force (work). They can identify relationships between these factors.
Students can explore and describe how gears affect our lives by changing the direction and the amount of force exerted in everyday items of technology.
In different pulley systems, students can identify the relationship between the force needed to lift a load to a given height and the length of rope that must be pulled through the pulley in order to do so.

Science for families: Magnetic Treasure Hunt