Sort Forces with a Push and Pull Venn Diagram

When entering the wonderful world of physics with our students, the usual starting point is push and pull forces. We look to the world around us to teach our students about how objects respond when these forces are exerted upon them.

Sometimes, the worlds of the push and pull force intersect in the form of objects that can be both pushed and pulled! It’s therefore important for our students to be able to answer the following question: Push, pull or both?

This push and pull Venn diagram worksheet has been designed by our expert teacher team to help you answer this very question! It consists of six examples of pushes and pulls that students would be familiar with from their everyday lives. To complete the worksheet, the students will follow the steps below:

1. Look at Each Picture – Students begin by closely examining a series of pictures, each illustrating a unique real-world scenario where forces are at play. These pictures serve as the foundation for understanding forces.
2. Think About the Force – For each picture, students are prompted to think about the type of force in action: Is it a push, a pull or both? This step encourages critical thinking and observation.
3. Write and Draw Examples – At the heart of the worksheet is a Venn diagram, with three intersecting circles: one for push, one for pull and one for both. Students write and draw their identified examples in the appropriate spaces, categorizing the forces they’ve observed.
4. Create Their Own Examples – To further enhance their understanding and creativity, students are encouraged to add one more example of their own for each space within the Venn diagram. This allows them to apply the concept and expand their thinking.

The everyday scenarios involving push or pull forces included in these worksheets are:

• Trying on shoes
• Tug or war
• Channel channels
• Mowing the lawn
• Sledding
• Digging a hole

This push or pull Venn diagram worksheet downloads as an easy-print PDF or an editable Google Slides digital document. It will help students grasp the concepts of push and pull forces and the ways in which they overlap.

Educational Benefits of This Push and Pull Venn Diagram

Did you know that using Venn diagrams as a teaching tool has great benefits for students? Some of these include:

1. Visual Representation – This push and pull Venn diagram offers a clear and visual representation of the relationships between push and pull forces, making complex ideas more accessible.
2. Critical Thinking – By prompting students to categorize information and identify commonalities and differences between push and pull forces, Venn diagrams encourage critical thinking and analytical skills.
3. Concept Clarification – The overlapping sections of this push and pull Venn diagram can help students understand where concepts intersect, which is particularly useful when exploring nuanced ideas like forces.

As you can see, this push and pull Venn diagram not only aids in the teaching of push and pull forces, but also benefits students in these other impactful ways!

Download This Push and Pull Venn Diagram 

This push or pull Venn diagram downloads as either an easy-print PDF or an editable Google Slides version. Use the download button to access your preferred file format. (Note: You will be prompted to make a copy of the Google Slides template on your personal drive before accessing it.)

Provide your students with copies to complete independently, or project onto your interactive screen to work through together as a class.

This resource was created by Lisamarie Del Valle, a teacher in Florida and a Teach Starter collaborator.

More Push and Pull Resources to Enrich Your Lessons

Here at Teach Starter, we understand the need for teachers to reduce the amount of time spent on planning, and we’re here to help! Click below for more curriculum-aligned, teacher-created resources to use in your lessons on push and pull forces!

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Pushes and Pulls Mini-Book

Explore pushes and pulls with your students with this printable mini-book perfect for 3rd grade science lessons.

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Push and Pull Examples – Matching Game

Have students explore examples of push and pull forces with this matching game to use during your forces and motion science unit.

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Object Movement Investigation Worksheets

Get students to push or pull on an object with this forces investigation for your 3rd grade science lessons.