ABSTRACT
This chapter expresses that the conceptual difficulties in the topic of forces can more easily be overcome if the topic is taught through contexts that are familiar and motivating for children. Children will have lots of experiences of forces during their early years through playing in the bath or the play park; in fact in any situation where they are making themselves or objects move, float or fall. Children can experience different types of forces in a kinaesthetic 'whole-body' way. Concept-mapping is a technique for representing knowledge diagrammatically and is a useful way for a learner to 'sort out' their ideas and record them on paper. Concepts relating to magnets gradually move away from forces and towards the link with electricity at KS3, including plotting magnetic fields with a compass; relating this to Earth's magnetism and navigation; and relating the magnetic effect of a current to electromagnets and motors.
