Lesson summary
In this lesson, students will learn about forces and use this information to investigate the science of a coward punch. They will practice identifying and representing forces in free body diagrams and apply these models to everyday scenarios including collisions and falling objects. Finally, they will apply this knowledge to understanding how and why head injuries can have severe outcomes.
Learning intentions:
Students will...
- understand what a coward punch is and the negative outcomes of this action
- understand the forces associated with a coward punch, both in connection with the head and as a result of the fall
- understand that these forces are sufficient to cause significant injury or death.
Success criteria:
Students can...
- use free body diagrams to represent forces
- identify and represent forces acting on everyday objects
- identify the forces associated with a coward punch.
Lesson guides and printables
Curriculum links
Select your curriculum from the options below.
Lesson details
Curriculum mapping
Australian Curriculum content descriptions:
Year 7 Science:
- Change to an object’s motion is caused by unbalanced forces, including Earth’s gravitational attraction, acting on the object (ACSSU117)
Syllabus outcomes: SC4-10PW
General capabilities: Critical and Creative Thinking, Personal and Social Capability, Ethical Understanding
Relevant parts of Year 7 achievement standards:
Students represent and predict the effects of unbalanced forces, including Earth’s gravity, on motion
This lesson is part of the wider unit of work STOP the Coward Punch: Science – Years 9 & 10
Time required: 80 mins
Level of teacher scaffolding: Medium to High – the teacher will moderate class discussions, run group activities and facilitate learning around a topic of violence which will require sensitivity and nuance
Resources required
- Device capable of presenting a video to the class
- Student Worksheets – one copy per student
Skills
This lesson is designed to build students’ competencies in the following skills:
- Critical thinking
- Empathy
- Ethical understanding
- Problem solving
- Social skills
Additional info
These resources have been designed in partnership with Danny Green's STOP the Coward's Punch campaign.
Danny Green’s STOP the Coward Punch campaign was started in 2012 with the aim of raising awareness of the devastating effects of the coward punch on the community, including the physical and mental scars survivors, families and friends are left with for life.
STOP the Coward Punch believes in the right of all people to enjoy themselves, safely and free from violence. With support from entertainers, athletes, community leaders, politicians and everyday Australians, the campaign aims to raise awareness of the simple precautions we – as a community and as individuals – can take to ensure safe and enjoyable outings and, ultimately, reduce the number of coward punch occurrences in our communities.
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