How can gravity, electric forces, and magnetism influence objects without physical contact? These Grade 7 science investigation stations explore forces at a distance, helping students use evidence from real-world examples to identify and explain gravitational, electric, and magnetic interactions.

Designed around the NGSS topic Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions, this resource takes students beyond simply naming different forces. They investigate how interactions occur without objects touching, compare force direction and relative strength, and consider how mass, distance, and object properties affect the forces between objects.

Investigating Three Types of Non-Contact Forces

The central focus is understanding how objects can exert forces on one another across a distance. Students explore three important interactions:

• Gravitational forces: Identify gravitational interactions and consider how mass and distance influence them.
• Electric forces: Recognise electric interactions using evidence from real-world examples.
• Magnetic forces: Examine magnetic interactions and compare how object properties influence their effects.

Students also develop their ability to compare force direction and relative strength, connecting observable evidence with scientific explanations of interactions.

What Is Included?

This resource combines station-based student activities with teacher support:

• Science investigation station cards presenting the station activities.
• Station recording sheet for students to record their investigation work.
• Station wrap-up activity to bring the learning together.
• Teacher Guide included in the Answer Key PDF, with learning objectives, teaching tips, discussion questions, and common mistakes.

The station cards provide the activity prompts, while the recording sheet gives students a place to document their work. The wrap-up provides an opportunity to revisit the central concepts, and the teacher guide offers additional instructional support.

Classroom Use and Teaching Opportunities

Use these Grade 7 science learning stations during a unit on forces and interactions, as a focused lesson on non-contact forces, or as part of a review of motion and stability. Students can work through the station activities, record their thinking, and complete the wrap-up to consolidate their understanding.

The teacher guide helps educators prepare learning objectives, anticipate common mistakes, and use discussion questions to encourage students to explain their reasoning. It also provides useful support when introducing the differences between gravitational, electric, and magnetic interactions.

NGSS Connection

This resource is identified with NGSS standard MS-PS2-4 and the middle school topic Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions.

Give students a structured opportunity to investigate how forces act without contact and compare the factors that influence these interactions. A focused addition to your Grade 7 physical science instruction.