Year 7 Science – Term 4 (WA Curriculum): Forces and Simple Machines

What this unit covers

In Term 4, Year 7 Science in the WA Curriculum centres on the unit “Forces and Simple Machines”.

Students explore forces, friction, and simple machines while developing scientific investigation skills to understand how physical science principles apply in everyday life.

Lesson sequence (30 lessons)

The unit breaks down into the following lesson-by-lesson sequence — each title below is a teachable lesson, in order:

1. Introduction to Forces - What Pushes and Pulls Around Us
2. Measuring Forces Using Newtons and Force Meters
3. Drawing Force Diagrams with Arrows and Direction
4. Investigating Friction Between Different Surfaces
5. How Surface Roughness Affects Friction Forces
6. Reducing Friction Through Lubrication and Polishing
7. Exploring Streamlining to Decrease Air Resistance
8. Ball Bearings and Rollers - Making Movement Easier
9. Introduction to Simple Machines in Daily Life
10. First Class Levers - Finding the Fulcrum
11. Second and Third Class Levers - Comparing Advantages
12. Inclined Planes - Making Heavy Loads Easier to Move
13. Wheels and Axles - Understanding Mechanical Advantage
14. Designing Investigable Questions About Forces
15. Making Predictions Using Scientific Knowledge
16. Planning Fair Test Investigations for Force Experiments
17. Identifying and Managing Safety Risks in Experiments
18. Using Force Meters and Digital Tools for Data Collection
19. Recording Force Data in Tables and Spreadsheets
20. Constructing Graphs to Show Force Relationships
21. Building Models to Represent Force Systems
22. Analysing Force Data to Find Patterns
23. Drawing Conclusions from Force Investigation Results
24. Identifying Anomalies and Limitations in Force Data
25. Evaluating Investigation Methods and Suggesting Improvements
26. Building Evidence-Based Arguments About Force Claims
27. Communicating Force Investigation Results Effectively
28. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Knowledge of Forces in Tools
29. How Engineers Use Force Understanding in Aircraft Design
30. Forces in Everyday Applications - From Bicycles to Buildings

Curriculum codes in this unit

Content codes:

Reading the codes: WA codes (the ones starting with WA) pack the year level, learning area, strand and content number into one string, while the national Australian Curriculum v9 uses a different anatomy that starts with AC9 — same content family, different labels. Our complete WA Curriculum guide decodes both, character by character.

Planning notes for Term 4

WA terms run roughly 9–11 weeks, and in 2026 Term 4 runs from Monday 12 October to Thursday 17 December — 10 weeks for WA public schools. With 30 lessons in this unit, that leaves breathing room for assessment, moderation and the weeks that disappear to carnivals, camps and public holidays — plan the assessable work to land two to three weeks before the end of term rather than in the final week.