Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Force Fact Cards: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 5
- ForYear 5
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Force Fact Cards is a free printable science worksheet for Year 5 (ages 9 to 10). Children read six fact cards about forces and simple machines. Then they use the cards to answer questions about everyday situations. It needs only a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown up notes, help ideas, a stretch task and the answers.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Page 1 has six cards to cut out and use, followed by numbered questions with space to answer and lines for writing. Children read each card carefully, then decide which one helps with each question. The questions place forces in everyday scenes, from a tree to a path to a pool, and ask about simple machines too. Children name the force or machine and point to the card that gave the clue.
- An apple drops from a tree. Which force pulls it to the ground?
- Trainers grip a dry path and do not slip. Which force helps?
- Water slowing a swimmer down is which force?
- A seesaw is an example of which simple machine?
- A rope and wheel lift a flag up a pole. Which machine is this?
How the cards and questions work together
Read the cards first
Children read all six cards before they look at a question. This gives them a bank of facts to draw on, rather than guessing from memory.
Match clue to card
Each question contains clues. Children look for the card that fits and point to it. This builds the habit of using evidence in science.
Name the force or machine
Children write the name of the force or simple machine. Short answers are fine, but encourage a reason in a few words.
Check and talk
Use page 2 to check together. Ask why a card fitted. Talking through a wrong answer teaches as much as a right one.
Forces in Year 5 science
A force is a push or a pull. Forces can make things start moving, stop, speed up, slow down, change direction or change shape. Some forces need two things to touch. Others act across a gap. In Year 5, children in England study forces as part of the National Curriculum, including gravity, air resistance, water resistance and friction.
Year 5 children also learn about simple machines such as levers, pulleys and gears. These are tools that let a smaller force have a greater effect. Fact cards suit this topic well. They give short, clear information, and children then have to apply it to a real example, which is the heart of good science thinking.
Force facts to know
- A force is a push or a pull.
- Forces are measured in units called newtons.
- The newton is named after Isaac Newton, an English scientist.
- A newton meter is a tool for measuring forces.
- A magnet can pull on some metals without touching them.
Skills and curriculum link
- Reading science facts
- Naming forces
- Applying ideas to real examples
- Using evidence
- Explaining thinking
Ideas to help children use the facts
- Push or pullAsk whether a situation is a push or a pull. Even if the force has a special name, this simple question helps children start thinking.
- Look at what changesForces change how things move or what shape they are. Ask what is changing in the scene: speed, direction or shape.
- Use the card as evidenceBefore writing, ask your child to say which card helped and what words on it gave the clue.
- Link to real lifeAsk where else they have seen something similar, at the park, in the kitchen or on the way to school. Real examples make facts easier to remember.
Key words
- ForceA push or a pull.
- NewtonThe unit used to measure force. Its symbol is N.
- StreamlinedShaped so that air or water can flow past smoothly.
- Simple machineA tool with few moving parts that helps us do a job with less effort.
- EffectA change that is caused by something.
- EvidenceInformation that supports an answer.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Cut out the six cards, or leave them on the page if you prefer. Ask your child to read every card first.
- Read the first question together. Ask your child to point to the card that gave the clue.
- Let them answer the rest, then check with page 2. Ask, "How did you know?" The reasoning matters as much as the answer.
- Come back another day and try the questions that felt tricky. Repeating a familiar sheet builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Read the cards aloud together. Then match each question to a picture or an action. Drop a pencil, push a book along a table or pull a drawer open, and ask whether it is a push or a pull. Do a few questions at a time.
To stretch confident children
Ask your child to explain how a streamlined shape could reduce air resistance. Then they can test it. Drop a flat sheet of paper and a scrunched ball of the same paper from the same height. Ask them to describe what they see.
Make it a game
Cut out the cards and shuffle them. One player reads a clue aloud without naming the force or machine. The others race to point to the matching card. The first to point correctly wins the card. The player with the most cards wins.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child answers from memory and does not use the cards.
Try thisAsk them to point to the card that gave the clue. If no card helps, talk about why and read the cards again.
Watch forA child mixes up a force with a machine.
Try thisTalk about the difference. A force is a push or a pull. A simple machine is a tool that helps us use a force.
Watch forA child gives a one word answer when asked to explain.
Try thisOffer a sentence starter: "I think this because the card says..." Then let them finish it in their own words.
Talk about it
- What is a force? Can you give me one push and one pull from today?
- Which card was the most useful, and why?
- Can a force make something slow down as well as speed up?
- Where might a streamlined shape be helpful in real life?
- Which simple machine would you most like to build, and what would it do?
- How can you tell that an answer is right and not just a good guess?
Take it off the page
Push and pull hunt
Walk around the house or classroom. Find ten things that you push or pull to use. Sort them into two lists and say what each force does.
Ramp test
Make a ramp from a book and a board. Roll a toy car down it onto different surfaces, such as carpet or a tea towel. Predict, then measure how far it goes.
Paper shape drop
Make different paper shapes, such as a flat sheet, a ball and a cone. Drop them from the same height and compare. Talk about which shape moves through the air most smoothly.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first question, then let them lead. Short bursts work better than long sessions. If they get stuck, read the cards aloud together and ask what each one is about.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing. Page 2 offers help and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups, and the answers make marking quick.
Home educators
Pair it with everyday science, such as playing in the park, riding bikes or cooking. Adults should do any cooking tasks that involve heat or knives. The sheet can be used again for brothers and sisters, or for revision later.
Where this fits in science
Earlier in Key Stage 2, children meet forces as pushes and pulls. They also explore how magnets attract and repel and how different surfaces affect movement. These ideas give them the vocabulary to read the cards with confidence.
After Year 5, children keep building on forces in later science. They measure forces more carefully, draw diagrams to show them and explain more complex situations. Practice in reading facts and applying them now makes that later work easier.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Force Fact Cards for?
It is written for Year 5 (ages 9 to 10), in Key Stage 2. Younger children can try it with help, and older children can use it as revision or to practise explaining their ideas.
- What will children practise?
They practise reading science facts, naming forces and applying ideas to real examples. The sheet covers gravity, air resistance, water resistance, friction and how levers, pulleys and gears let a smaller force have a greater effect.
- How do I use it?
Print both pages. Children read the six cards first, then answer the questions using the cards. Encourage them to point to the card that gave the clue. Check together with the notes and answers on page 2.
- What if it feels too hard?
Read the cards aloud together and match each question to a picture or an action. Do a few questions at a time and come back to the rest another day. Praise effort and thinking.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or a revision session a few weeks later.
- Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 includes help, a stretch idea and answers.
- Do I need to print in colour?
No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. It is also a screen free activity that needs only paper and a pencil, so it suits quiet time and rainy days.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.