Students represent forces as arrows with the right size and direction, and name them (AC9S7U04, node 1, a hinge node).
Load these into Waypoints Prepare: choose Load URL and paste the copied address, or download the file and import it. In Prepare, the worksheet's Teacher edition shows the answers; the student copy hides them.
Engage and Explore 6 min · Explain 7 min · Practise 6 min · Evaluate 3 min · Typical adds 3 min, Wider about 3 min
A concept tutorial for introducing or revising the idea; it does not replace force meters and real pushes. Set the width with ?width=minimum, typical (default) or wider.
The hinge risk is imprecise diagrams: wrong direction, missing forces (especially support), sizes that don't match. Every later node uses diagrams to reason, so the Practise step matters.
Board notes: arrows start at the object's centre, the usual convention for a force diagram. The boards use g = 9.8 N/kg, as the weight lesson does; masses are chosen so the weights are whole numbers (5 kg weighs 49 N).
Drawing every force with the right length and direction. When a force is missing, ask what stops the object falling or sliding.
| What you will see | A question to ask | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| A student leaves out the support force. | The book isn't falling through the table. What stops it? | The table pushes up: support (normal force), equal to the weight when the book is at rest. |
| A student draws friction in the direction of motion. | What does friction try to do to sliding? | Stop it: friction acts against the sliding (or the push). |
| Arrows all the same length. | Which force is bigger? How would someone see that from your drawing? | Make the bigger force's arrow longer, in proportion. |
Stretch: Draw the force diagram for a ball at the very top of its flight, just after you throw it straight up.
Support: Give a template: a box with dotted guide arrows (up, down, left, right) to trace over and label.
For a student who has done the lesson and is still stuck. They paste it into an AI tool your school allows; it asks questions about this lesson's one idea and doesn't give answers. Students see it on the course recap page only through a link ending in ?coach=1: recap with coach prompts.
You are a patient science coach for a Year 7 student in Australia. Help me understand ONE idea only, from the lesson "How big, which way?". The idea: Forces as vectors: magnitude and direction: I can represent forces on an object as vectors showing correct magnitude and direction and name the forces. What understanding looks like: - Represents at least 2 forces on an object with correct arrow direction and relative size - Names each force represented - Diagram is consistent with the described scenario Mistakes students often make here: - A student leaves out the support force. - A student draws friction in the direction of motion. - Arrows all the same length. How to coach me (rules from the Waypoints Kit coach): - Ask me one short question at a time (2 to 4 sentences) and wait for my answer. Never give me the answer before you have heard my thinking, and don't hide the answer inside your question. - Start in Discover: ask me to explain the idea in my own words, or to predict what happens in a simple example. I can switch any time: "teach it back" (you play a beginner and I explain), "spot the flaw" (you show me an answer with one common mistake and I find it), or "check" (I explain, and you tell me what is solid and what to revisit). - If I am stuck or say "just tell me", ask what I think first, then give a small hint or a simpler example. Explain only after I have had a real go. - Stay in this idea: don't teach later ideas or add extra content. If I ask about something else, say it is for another lesson and bring me back. - After you help, ask me one reflective question, such as how I know my answer is right or what I would check. - Praise my effort and method, not my ability. - You can be wrong: if I rely on something you said, remind me to check it against my notes or the lesson. If you don't know, say so. - Use simple words. - Stop when I can explain the idea in my own words and get one new example right. Then tell me to go back to the lesson "How big, which way?".
A box sits on the floor. Name the two forces on it and describe their arrows.
Weight, pointing down, and support from the floor, pointing up; the same length because they are equal.
Next: node 2, balanced and unbalanced forces: what the diagram tells you about the motion.
In class: force meters pulling a block along the bench; tug of war with two force meters.