Levers in action
I can identify and apply each lever system to various sporting actions.
Levers in action
I can identify and apply each lever system to various sporting actions.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Sporting examples of a first class lever include the neck when heading the ball in football.
- Sporting examples of a second class lever include plantar flexion at the ankle during a jump shot in basketball.
- Sporting examples of a third class lever include flexion of the elbow in a bicep curl.
Keywords
First class lever - fulcrum is placed in the middle bewteen the load and effort
Second class lever - load is placed in the middle bewteen the fulcrum and effort
Third class lever - effort is placed in the middle between the load and effort
Mechanical disadvantage - 3rd class levers cannot lift as heavy loads with the same amount of effort as 2nd class levers due to the position of the effort and load from the fulcrum
Common misconception
The effort in a lever starts in the belly of the muscle.
The effort from a muscle will start from the muscle insertion. The insertion is the tendon attached to the bone which that muscle moves.
To help you plan your year 10 physical education lesson on: Levers in action, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 10 physical education lesson on: Levers in action, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 physical education lessons from the Movement analysis and basic biomechanics unit, dive into the full secondary physical education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
Post-it notes. Various images of sporting actions.
Licence
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
EFL
FLE
LEF
distance between the fulcrum and the effort
distance between the fulcrum and the load
move larger loads with relatively less effort
Exit quiz
6 Questions
neck flexion
dorsiflexion of the ankle
flexion of the elbow
second class lever
first class lever
third class lever