Grades 3–5
Paper Airplane Test
Fold two designs, fly each three times, measure the distance and name the forces at work.
Science worksheet · Forces and motion
Balanced or Unbalanced?
Circle balanced or unbalanced for six situations, then explain what unbalanced forces do to motion.
- Grade level
- Grades 3–5
- Time
- About 20 minutes
- Topic
- Forces and motion
- Answer key
- Yes, page 2 of the PDF
- Kids practice
- Pushes and pulls, Friction, Gravity and motion
What kids do
Printed on the sheet:
- When forces are balanced, they cancel out and the object stays still or keeps moving the same way. When forces are unbalanced, the object speeds up, slows down or changes direction.
- 1. Circle balanced or unbalanced.
- Two teams pull a rope and nobody moves.
- A soccer ball starts rolling after a kick.
- A book sits still on a desk.
- A sled speeds up going down a hill.
- A bike slows down when you stop pedaling.
- A kite hangs still in a steady wind.
Teacher tip
Play a gentle tug of war with a rope to show both kinds.
How to use it
- Roll balls across carpet and tile to feel friction.
- Drop two objects at once and ask which lands first.
- Start with a two-minute “I notice, I wonder” talk about the picture on the sheet.
Watch for
Heavier objects don’t fall faster (without air in the way). Try it with two balls.
Talk about it
- What force made this move?
- How could we find out if that is true?
Take it further
Hold a toy car race on different surfaces and graph the results.
US Letter, prints well in black and white. Free for home and classroom use: print as many copies as you need.
More forces and motion worksheets
Grades 1–3
Push or Pull?
Sort eight actions into pushes and pulls, then draw a push and a pull you did today.
Grades 3–5
Friction Test
Slide a block down a ramp onto four surfaces, measure how far it goes and find the most friction.
Grades 2–4
Gravity: True or False?
Eight facts about gravity to mark true or false, then draw your classroom with no gravity.
Free for teachers
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