Forces and Direction

Start with something students can look at or think about: a photo, a short video, a jar on the windowsill, or a question like "what do you already know about forces and direction?" Then let them work through the first item together as a class, then finish the rest independently or with a partner, keeping a word bank or anchor chart in view so the vocabulary stays available. When you review, ask students how they knew, and let them point to the part of the diagram or reading that told them. These forces and direction worksheets work well as a lead in before an investigation, as a way to capture what students noticed afterward, or as review before an assessment.

These forces and direction worksheets for 1st grade give students a clear, visual way to work through one of the big ideas in forces and machines. Students label diagrams, sort and classify examples, read short explanations, and answer questions that ask them to say why, not just what. Each page keeps the science vocabulary front and center so students leave with the words they need to talk about forces and direction accurately. Working through forces and direction on paper gives 1st grade students something concrete to hold onto before, during, or after the hands on part of a lesson.

Yes, both. We made it for 1st Grade forces and machines, and the page works the same whether it lands on a kitchen table or a center rotation. At home, most families go through it together and talk the answers out loud, and that talking is where most of the learning happens with forces and direction. In class it runs well as independent work while you pull a small group. Print one copy or thirty, whichever the day needs.

First graders learn that a force always acts in a specific direction and that the direction of a force determines the direction of movement. They explore how pushing or pulling an object from different angles changes where it goes, building intuitive understanding of physics concepts like trajectory.

Forces and direction are typically taught in Grade 1 as part of a physical science unit on forces and motion, building on earlier lessons about push and pull. Teachers use balls, toy cars, and simple ramps to give students kinesthetic experience before introducing the worksheet-based activities.

Set up a simple experiment where your child pushes a toy car from different angles and observes where it rolls. Ask them to predict the direction before each push and compare their prediction to the result. Then complete the worksheet to connect their physical experience to the scientific vocabulary.

6 printable worksheets, all free to preview. Downloads are included with a ClassWeekly free trial, and every page prints on standard 8.5 x 11 paper.

These are written for 1st Grade students, roughly ages 6-7. Many teachers also use them a grade up for review or a grade down as an extension, so use the preview to judge the fit for a particular child.

Yes. Each one shows the NGSS code it covers on its own page, so you can check the alignment yourself rather than taking our word for it.

Yes. Nothing here assumes a classroom of 25, so they work the same one-to-one at the kitchen table as they do in a 1st Grade classroom, a literacy centre, or a tutoring session.