Compare how changing the direction of a push or pull...

SECTION 1

Why Do We Wonder About Pushes and Pulls?

People have always watched things move. Long ago, people wondered why a ball rolls one way and not another!

They asked big questions. What makes things go? What makes things stop?

Long Ago

People Watched Things Move

People saw rocks roll downhill. They pushed logs to build homes.

Olden Days

Wheels Were Invented

People made wheels! Pushing a cart forward made it roll forward.

A Clever Scientist

Isaac Newton Studied Forces

Isaac Newton found out that pushes and pulls make things speed up, slow down, or change direction.

Today

We Explore Forces Every Day

You push and pull things all day long! You are a scientist too!

Here is our big question: What happens when we change the direction of a push or pull?

🏐 Anchoring Phenomenon

Imagine you are at a park. You push a ball forward and it rolls forward. Then you push the same ball to the side. Now it rolls to the side! Why does the ball go a different way?

SECTION 2

Big Ideas About Pushes, Pulls, and Direction

A force is a push or a pull. That means any time you push or pull something, you are using a force!

Every push or pull has a direction. That means where you aim the push or pull matters a lot.

A Push Moves Things Away

When you push something, it moves away from you. Push forward, it goes forward!

A Pull Brings Things Closer

When you pull something, it moves toward you. Pull a wagon and it follows you!

Direction Changes Motion

If you change which way you push or pull, the object moves a different way too.

Same Object, Different Direction

You can push the same ball left, right, forward, or backward. Each time it goes a new way!

✦ KEY TAKEAWAY

Think of blowing a bubble. If you blow to the left, the bubble floats left. If you blow up, it floats up! The direction of your push or pull decides the direction the thing moves.

SECTION 3

See How Direction Changes Motion

Look at the picture below. It shows a ball being pushed in three different directions. See what happens each time!

Each box shows the same ball. The dashed circle shows where the ball started. The arrow shows the direction of the push. The solid ball shows where it went!

Did you notice? The ball always goes the same way as the push. Change the direction of your push, and the ball changes direction too!

SECTION 4

How Does It Work?

Let's think step by step. When you push or pull an object, two things matter.

How hard you push or pull. That means a big push makes it go far. A little push makes it go a short way.
Which way you push or pull. That means the direction you aim decides where the object goes.

Today we are learning about the second one — which way you push or pull.

🚗 Try This at Home!

Put a toy car on the floor. Push it forward. Watch where it goes! Now push it to the left. It goes left! Now push it backward. It goes backward! You changed the direction of your push each time.

Pulls work the same way! If you pull a wagon to the right, it moves right. Pull it to the left, it moves left.

SECTION 5

All the Ways You Can Push or Pull

There are many directions you can push or pull! Let's look at them.

This picture shows a wagon in the middle. You can push it up, down, left, or right. Each arrow shows a different direction of push. The wagon will move the way the arrow points!

The object always moves the way you push it!

Direction of Push	Where Does It Go?
Push forward ➡️	It moves forward
Push backward ⬅️	It moves backward
Push left ⬅️	It moves to the left
Push right ➡️	It moves to the right
Push up ⬆️	It moves up

SECTION 6

Let's Solve a Problem Together!

Let's think about a soccer ball on the grass. You want to kick it to your friend.

Kicking a Soccer Ball to a Friend

Step 1 — Look at Where Your Friend IsYour friend is standing to your right. You need to push the ball to the right!

Your friend is to the right.

Step 2 — Choose the Direction of Your PushYou point your foot to the right. You will kick (push) the ball to the right.

Push direction: right.

Step 3 — Kick the Ball!You kick the ball. The ball rolls to the right, toward your friend!

The ball moves right, just like the push!

Step 4 — What If Your Friend Moves?Now your friend runs behind you! You need to change direction. You turn around and kick the ball backward.

New push direction means new ball direction!

⚽ WHAT WE LEARNED

When you want the ball to go somewhere new, you change the direction of your kick. A new direction of push makes a new direction of motion.

SECTION 7

Pushes and Pulls: Same Idea, Two Ways!

Pushes and pulls are both forces. They both make things move. Let's compare them!

Both pushes and pulls change motion when you change direction!

Push	Pull
Moves things away from you	Moves things toward you
Example: pushing a swing	Example: pulling a wagon
Change direction of push = object goes new way	Change direction of pull = object goes new way
You use your hands, feet, or body	You use your hands or a rope

✦ KEY TAKEAWAY

Think about walking a dog on a leash. If you pull left, the dog goes left. If you pull right, the dog goes right. Pulls change motion just like pushes do — the direction you pull decides where the object goes.

SECTION 8

What Will We Learn Next?

You now know that changing the direction of a push or pull changes how something moves. That is a big idea!

There is so much more to discover!

What You Know Now	What You Will Learn Later
Pushes and pulls have direction	Pushes and pulls have different strengths too
Changing direction changes motion	Changing how hard you push changes speed
You can observe how things move	You can plan tests to learn about forces

In later grades, you will learn how strong pushes and pulls make things go faster. You will also learn about forces you cannot see, like gravity pulling you down!

SECTION 9

Practice Time!

Let's practice! Imagine you are playing with a toy car on a table. Read each question and pick the best answer.

PROBLEM 1 — CONCEPTUAL

You push a toy car to the right. Which way does it move? A) To the left B) To the right C) It stays still

PROBLEM 2 — BASIC

First you push the toy car forward. Then you push it to the left. What happens the second time? A) The car goes forward again B) The car goes to the left C) The car goes up

PROBLEM 3 — INTERMEDIATE

You pull a toy car toward you with a string. Then you walk to the other side and pull again. Does the car move the same way both times? A) Yes, it goes the same way B) No, it goes a different way C) It does not move at all

PROBLEM 4 — APPLIED

Your friend wants to roll a toy car into a box on the left side of the table. Right now your friend is pushing the car forward and missing the box. What should your friend do? A) Push harder in the same direction B) Change the push to aim left toward the box C) Stop pushing

PROBLEM 5 — CRITICAL THINKING

Think and share: You have a toy car on a table. How many different directions could you push it? Can you name some? Talk about it with a friend or grown-up.

SUMMARY

What We Learned Today

A push moves things away from you. A pull brings things toward you. Both pushes and pulls are forces. Every force has a direction — that means where you aim it matters.

When you change the direction of a push or pull, the object moves a different way. Push left, it goes left. Push right, it goes right. You are a force scientist! Great job today!