English National Curriculum - Science

3. Explore factors which affect water resistance

Mission Objectives

Understand how water resistance acts on objects

Investigate the impact of streamlining on the force of water resistance

Explain the similarities and differences between air and water resistance

Rocket Words Quiz

Rocket Words Quiz

See if you know all the meanings of the rocket words

Assessment Quiz

Assessment Quiz

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Word Search Game

Word Search Game

Find all the rocket words in the grid

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Lesson Plan

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Keywords

Words and meanings to learn

balanced forces

opposing forces that are equal in strength

streamlined

an object that is shaped to travel through air or water with as little resistance as possible

upthrust

any force that is causing something to be pushed upwards

water resistance

friction which acts on an object as it moves through water

buoyant

to float

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Heather Bingham

Heather qualified with a first-class honours degree in climate science from the University of East Anglia. Since, she has joined Developing Experts as a writer and presenter, specialising in earth and environmental sciences.

She is also an internationally published science author, having written a series of CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) digital textbooks aimed at improving learners’ understanding of English whilst igniting an interest in science.

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Clare Faulkner

Clare is an experienced primary teacher with extensive experience across the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. She has a strong background in curriculum design and development, contributing to programmes across EYFS, Key Stage 1, and Key Stage 2, ensuring they are engaging, inclusive, and pedagogically effective.

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Emma Wilding

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Emma has a particular passion for writing high-quality curricula that are carefully sequenced, engaging, and rooted in strong subject knowledge. She is committed to creating lessons that are lively, meaningful, and accessible, helping children to grasp complex ideas through clear explanations and purposeful activities that support long-term learning.

Through her curriculum leadership, Emma has supported schools in preparing for successful Ofsted inspections, ensuring that subjects are well structured and effectively implemented. She is dedicated to designing learning experiences that spark curiosity and help pupils make meaningful connections between the past, the present, and the wider world.

Required Resources

Resources: A small object (such as a marble or penny), a large clear container filled with water, a mini whiteboard, modelling clay, water, a variety of clear containers (such as large bottles with the tops cut off, or large measuring cylinders) and weighing scales.

Support Handout (1): An investigation sheet for the children to record their question, predictions, variables, results and conclusion, with scaffolding to support writing their question and variables.

Core Handout (2): An investigation sheet for the children to record their question, predictions, variables, results and conclusions.

Stretch Handout (3): An investigation sheet for the children to record their question, predictions, explain their fair test controls, results and conclusions.

Challenge Handout (4): A space is provided for children to record the similarities and differences between air and water resisitance, and to draw and label the forces acting on a boat as it moves through the water (as mentioned in the plenary).

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Exemplar Work

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How does shape and size impact water resistance?

How does shape and size impact water resistance?

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