Forces: Contact or Non-Contact?

Help students organize the force types from TEKS 6.7A into two clear families. In this one-page sort, students read eight real-life scenarios and decide — does the force need objects to touch (contact), or does it act across a gap (non-contact)? A fast, low-prep way to sort gravity, friction, magnetism, applied, and normal forces. Perfect for daily bell-ringers, morning work, exit tickets, or science centers.

What's Included

• 8 illustrated scenario cards — a falling ball, an orbiting Moon, a soccer kick, a magnet, and more
• A simple circle-to-sort format (Contact or Non-Contact) — no cutting or gluing
• A "Sum It Up" word-bank summary that has students state the rule in their own words
• A full teacher answer key with a one-line explanation for every card and a "Big Idea" summary

How It Helps You Teach

The contact vs. non-contact split gives students a simple, powerful way to make sense of every force type they meet. Because the cards mix familiar contact forces with the two non-contact forces (gravity and magnetism), you can see at a glance who understands that some forces work across a distance — making this a fast formative check. The answer key gives you the reasoning behind every card for a whole-class discussion. Print and go in 5-10 minutes, no prep.

Looking for more? Check out our library for vocabulary, inference, and real-world news activities on this same topic that pair perfectly with this one for bell-ringers and morning work all week.

TEKS 6.7A • NGSS MS-PS2-1 • Part of the Daily Science series by Workybooks.