Year 8 Learning Cycle 3 Overview
Physics: Why are Forces are vital for understanding how objects interact
Learning Cycle Overview
Line of enquiry one:
Hypothesis 1
Hypothesis 2
Hypothesis 3
Hypothesis 4
Hypothesis 5
Magnets have been an important tool in helping Britain develop
All metals are magnetic
Magnetic fields are invisible
Magnets can never be turned off
You can make an electromagnet stronger
Electromagnets have limited uses
Line of enquiry two:
Hypothesis 6
Hypothesis 7
Hypothesis 8
Hypothesis 9
A knowledge of forces is vital for developed countries
There are forces all around us every day
Your mass and weight are the same
Balanced forces make objects move
An objects change in speed is not linked to force
Line of enquiry three:
Hypothesis 10
Hypothesis 11
Hypothesis 12
Hypothesis 13
Calculating pressure is important for a variety of reasons
Knowledge of pressure is vital for skiers
Pressure only exists between solids
Breaking an airplane window is incredibly dangerous
It is dangerous for divers to surface too quickly
Week 1/2
Week 2-3
Week 4/5
Year 8 | Learning Cycle 3 | Medium Term Plan | Science 2015/16
Forces are vital for understanding how objects interact
Line of enquiry one: Magnets have been an important tool in helping Britain develop
Learning intentions/exam board criteria:
1. identify magnetic materials, make a magnet and test the
strength of a magnet
2. use the concepts of a magnetic field, a permanent magnet
and an electromagnet
3. investigate factors affecting the strength of an
electromagnet
4. explain the working of a number of devices that use
magnets and electromagnets
Lesson 1: All metals are magnetic
Lesson 2: Magnetic fields are invisible
Keywords: magnet, magnetic, cobalt, nickel, iron
Learning Intentions:
 Develop an understanding of specific metal characteristics
 Consider why some alloys are magnetic and others are
not
Success Criteria:

Be able to recall which materials are magnetic

Relate an alloys composition to why it may be magnetic
itself

Construct an experiment that would allow you to
categorise magnetic materials from strongest attraction
to weakest
Keywords: field, iron filings, visualise, magnetic field lines
Learning Intentions:
 Develop an understanding of how one can visualise
magnetic field lines
 Consider how compasses may interact with these lines
Success Criteria:

Be able to recall the pattern made by magnetic field lines
and the direction they travel

Relate the pattern seen and whether two magnets are
attracting or repelling each other

Examine how a compass behaves under the influence of
these magnetic field lines
Feedback Focus:
Knowledge input | Check | Development | REACH | Improvement
Details: Self assessed activity in class
Feedback Focus:
Knowledge input | Check | Development | REACH | Improvement
Details: Extended writing exam question provided and will be tutor
marked
Lesson 3: Magnets can never be turned off
Lesson 4: You can make an electromagnet stronger
Lesson 5: Electromagnets have limited uses
Keywords: electromagnet, solenoid, coil, core
Learning Intentions:
 Develop an understanding of how an electromagnet is
constructed
 Consider some advantages an EM might have over a
conventional permanent bar magnet
Success Criteria:

Recall the components and method required for
constructing an electromagnet

Report the difference between a permanent and
temporary EM magnet

Evaluate the EM – highlighting the pros and cons
Keywords: electromagnet, solenoid, coil, core
Learning Intentions:
 Develop an understanding of how to make an
electromagnet more powerful
Success Criteria:

Recall the main ways in which an electromagnet can be
made to be more powerful

Construct a practical that could test two different EM
designs for strength

Analyse and assess data and conclusions from an
experiment
Keywords: electromagnet, solenoid, coil, core
Learning Intentions:
 Develop an understanding of the uses of electromagnets
Success Criteria:

Recall the different objects where you could find an
electromagnet

Report how the EM in one of these objects allows it to
function

Investigate other uses of electromagnets and how they
allow machines to operate
Misconceptions:
All metals are magnetic, all magnets are made of iron, larger
magnets are stronger than smaller ones, only magnets produce
magnetic fields, a magnetic field is a pattern of lines (not a field of
force) that surrounds a magnet, in a magnet the magnetic field lines
exist only outside the magnet.
Feedback Focus:
Knowledge input | Check | Development | REACH | Improvement
Details: Act on feedback given by tutor and improve work
Feedback Focus:
Knowledge input | Check | Development | REACH | Improvement
Details: Self assessed activity in class
Feedback Focus:
Knowledge input | Check | Development | REACH | Improvement
Details: Extended writing exam question provided and will be tutor
marked
Year 8 | Learning Cycle 3 | Medium Term Plan | Science 2015/16
Forces are vital for understanding how objects interact
Line of enquiry two: A knowledge of forces is vital for developed countries
Learning intentions/exam board criteria:
1. identify the origin of friction, air resistance, upthrust and
weight and describe situations in which these forces act
2. distinguish between mass and weight
3. use the concept of speed
4. relate forces acting to changes in motion
5. identify situations in which forces are balanced and
unbalanced
Misconceptions:
If an object is at rest, no forces are acting on the object, only living things
can exert a force. So if an object is resting on a table, there are no forces
acting on it, when a force is given to an object it makes it move, and when
the object runs out of force it stops moving, a force is needed to keep an
object moving with a constant speed, friction always hinders motion. So,
you always want to eliminate friction, the motion of an object is always in
the direction of the net force applied to the object, rocket propulsion is due
to exhaust gases pushing on something behind the rocket.
Lesson 6: There are forces all around us every day
Lesson 7: Your mass and weight are the same
Keywords: forces, push, pull, contact, non contact
Learning Intentions:
 Develop an understanding of the different forces around
us
 Consider the different types of force
Success Criteria:

Recall where particular forces may act on different bodies

Describe how forces may act on a moving body

Produce you own labelled models for moving objects

Assess which way an object will move when forces are
given a magnitude
Feedback Focus:
Knowledge input | Check | Development | REACH | Improvement
Details: Act on feedback given by tutor and improve work
Keywords: mass, weight, gravity
Learning Intentions:
 Develop ideas about the difference between mass and
weight
 Discuss how these numbers may change for an astronaut
Success Criteria:

Recall the definitions for mass and weight

Describe what a causes mass and weight to change

Produce a story that describes the changes to an
astronauts mass and weight

Evaluate the hypothesis
Feedback Focus:
Knowledge input | Check | Development | REACH | Improvement
Details: Self assessed activity in class
Lesson 8: Balanced forces make objects move
Lesson 9: An objects change in speed is not linked to force
Keywords: balanced, unbalanced
Learning Intentions:
 Develop an understanding of how balanced/unbalanced
forces affect a moving object
Success Criteria:

Recall how balanced and unbalanced forces can be drawn

Construct your own theories on how (un)balanced forces
affect objects

Evaluate the hypothesis
Keywords: speed, accelerate, decelerate, velocity
Learning Intentions:
 Develop an understanding of how varying forces can
affect the speed of an object
Success Criteria:

Describe how the motion of an object changes based on
the external forces acting upon it

Apply this knowledge to describe how a car’s motion
changes when forces are altered

Compare and contrast the different ways to change the
motion of an object

Evaluate the hypothesis
Feedback Focus:
Knowledge input | Check | Development | REACH | Improvement
Details: Extended writing exam question provided and will be tutor
marked
Feedback Focus:
Knowledge input | Check | Development | REACH | Improvement
Details: Act on feedback given by tutor and improve work
Year 8 | Learning Cycle 3 | Medium Term Plan | Science 2015/16
Forces are vital for understanding how objects interact
Line of enquiry three: Calculating pressure is important for a variety of reasons
Learning intentions/exam board criteria:
1. study pressure on solids and describe applications of this in
everyday appliances
2. study hydrostatic pressure in fluids and describe an
application, eg hydraulic jack
3. study pressure in gases and describe certain phenomena,
eg expanding marshmallows
Misconceptions:
Pressure is the same as force, a solid cannot be squashed or
compressed, the greater the weight the larger the pressure exerted
by that object, the lower the weight the smaller the pressure exerted
by that object, you can only have pressure between two objects.
Lesson 10: Knowledge of pressure is vital for skiers
Lesson 11: Pressure only exists between solids
Keywords: force, area, pressure, Pascals
Learning Intentions:
 Develop an understanding of pressure and how it is
calculated
 Consider ways in which pressure can be altered in a given
situation
Success Criteria:

Recall the units for measuring pressure

Solve questions where a pressure must be calculated

Analyse ways in which pressure between two surfaces
could be increased/decreased

Conclude why pressure is so important between every day
appliances
Keywords: pressure, hydrostatic, hydraulic, pneumatic
Learning Intentions:
 Develop an understanding of pressure in liquids and
gasses
 Consider in what applications this pressure may be useful
Success Criteria:

Describe what high/low pressure means in relation to a
liquid

Report your findings on a Cartesian diver experiment and

Examine the results in detail

Evaluate the hypothesis
Feedback Focus:
Knowledge input | Check | Development | REACH | Improvement
Details: Extended writing exam question provided and will be tutor
marked
Feedback Focus:
Knowledge input | Check | Development | REACH | Improvement
Details: Self assessed activity in class
Lesson 12: Breaking an airplane window is incredibly dangerous
Lesson 13: It is dangerous for divers to surface too quickly
Keywords: air pressure, vacuum
Learning Intentions:
 Develop an understanding of air pressure
 Consider some of the dangers in travelling in a low/high
pressure environment
Success Criteria:

Recall what the term vacuum means

Discuss how particular materials would behave when
placed in a vacuum

Debate what would happen if an airliner were to break a
window at altitude.

Assess the dangers and what is done to limit them on long
haul flights
Feedback Focus:
Knowledge input | Check | Development | REACH | Improvement
Details: Act on feedback given by tutor and improve work
Keywords: bends, depressurisation, nitrogen
Learning Intentions:
 Develop an understanding of decompression and it’s
dangers
 Consider how divers suffering from decompression
sickness are treated
Success Criteria:

Describe what decompression sickness is

Produce a flow diagram that explains the symptoms

Investigate what is done to alleviate the symptoms

Evaluate the hypothesis
Feedback Focus:
Knowledge input | Check | Development | REACH | Improvement
Details: Self assessed activity in class