Introduce the big idea: a force is a push or a pull that can change how something moves. Demonstrate with a few objects — pushing a book, pulling a drawer, a mini catapult flicking a counter. For each, name it as a push or a pull and draw a force arrow, thinking aloud that the arrow shows the direction and a bigger arrow means a bigger force.
Then draw the key distinction with the slide deck: direct contact forces need touching (push, pull, friction); force at a distances act without touching (magnetism, gravity). Finish the modelling with a tug-of-war picture: equal arrows = balanced forces (no movement); a bigger arrow on one side = unbalanced forces (movement).
Run a class tug-of-war: first with even teams (the flag barely moves — balanced), then uneven teams (the flag moves — unbalanced). Draw the force arrows on the board together for each case. Then, as a class, sort a set of everyday actions into pushes and pulls, and a set of forces into contact vs at a distance.
Students complete the Forces All Around worksheet: classifying actions as pushes/pulls, sorting forces into contact vs at a distance, drawing arrows so a tug-of-war team wins, and explaining what balanced and unbalanced forces do.
Exit ticket: label the forces on a simple picture with arrows and say whether they are balanced or unbalanced.