Coward Punch: Representing Forces - Science - Year 7

Activity Introduction

Quick 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.

The STOP the Coward Punch education package aims to spread awareness about the devastating effects of the coward punch on our community. This education package was developed by a team of experts, including a youth worker, education specialist and specialist teachers and references the latest research and laws on coward punches.

Learning intentions:

Students will understand what a coward punch is and the negative outcomes of this action
Students will understand the forces associated with a coward punch, both in connection with the head and as a result of the fall
Students will understand that these forces are sufficient to cause significant injury or death.

21st century skills:

Problem Solving

Australian Curriculum Mapping

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.

Topic: Social Issues

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.

Related professional development: Strategies for Dealing with Aggressive and Violent Behaviours

Keywords: forces, energy, coward punch, one punch, violence

Cool Australia’s curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum.

Worksheets

Teacher Worksheet

Teacher Preparation

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.

Teacher content information:

The STOP the Coward Punch campaign
STOP the Coward Punch by Danny Green aims to eliminate the coward punch from society and save lives in the process. Since 2000, over 172 Australians have been killed by a coward punch and many more were injured. The coward punch leaves a devastating ripple through society, mentally and physically scarring family, friends and survivors for life. The STOP the Coward Punch campai

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Student Worksheet

Coward Punch - Representing Forces

Learning intentions: You 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: You can…

… use free body diagrams to represent forces
… identify and represent forces acting on everyday objects
… identify the forces associated with a coward punch.

Identifying And Representing Forces

1. Watch the following video up to 4:32 and then try the first activity below:

Drawing Free-Body Diagrams With Examples (https://youtu.be/3rZR7FSSidc) - pause at 4:32

2. Drawing forces
We use arrows to draw forces. The direction and length of the arrow are both important. For now, we will use a square to represent our object. Draw all arrows from the middle of the box, going outwards.

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Activity: Coward Punch: Representing Forces – Science – Year 7