Irish Curriculum · 5th Year Physics

5th Year Physics Lesson Plan & Curriculum Map

A full-year 5th Year Physics lesson plan aligned to the Leaving Certificate Physics specification (first examined in 2027). Week-by-week lessons for 1, 2 or 3 days a week from September to August, covering the Nature of Science and Forces and Motion (kinematics, forces, momentum, energy, gravitation and circular motion), then heat, waves, optics, electromagnetic and sound energy, interference and the Doppler effect, with the start of the Physics in Practice Investigation and summer consolidation.

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4Terms

48Weekly checkpoints

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5th Year Physics learning map

Choose a term, then compare a lighter weekly plan with a more intensive schedule.

1 day/week · steady pace2–3 days/week · guided practice

September · Forces and Motion: Particle Motion in a Straight Line

5th Year Physics — September Lesson Plan

Irish Curriculum · Physics

Week	1 Day/Week	2 Day/Week	3 Day/Week
September 1st week (Physics)	Forces and Motion: Particle Motion in a Straight Line 1: Nature of Science: how physicists investigate	Forces and Motion: Particle Motion in a Straight Line 1: Nature of Science: how physicists investigate 2: Practice / retrieval task	Forces and Motion: Particle Motion in a Straight Line 1: Nature of Science: how physicists investigate 2: Practical / data / discussion activity 3: Check for understanding
September 2nd week (Physics)	Forces and Motion: Particle Motion in a Straight Line 1: Scalars, vectors and resolving vectors	Forces and Motion: Particle Motion in a Straight Line 1: Scalars, vectors and resolving vectors 2: Practice / retrieval task	Forces and Motion: Particle Motion in a Straight Line 1: Scalars, vectors and resolving vectors 2: Practical / data / discussion activity 3: Check for understanding
September 3rd week (Physics)	Forces and Motion: Particle Motion in a Straight Line 1: Displacement, velocity, acceleration and motion graphs	Forces and Motion: Particle Motion in a Straight Line 1: Displacement, velocity, acceleration and motion graphs 2: Practice / retrieval task	Forces and Motion: Particle Motion in a Straight Line 1: Displacement, velocity, acceleration and motion graphs 2: Practical / data / discussion activity 3: Check for understanding
September 4th week (Physics)	Forces and Motion: Particle Motion in a Straight Line 1: The kinematics equations	Forces and Motion: Particle Motion in a Straight Line 1: The kinematics equations 2: Practice / retrieval task	Forces and Motion: Particle Motion in a Straight Line 1: The kinematics equations 2: Practical / data / discussion activity 3: Check for understanding

October · Forces and Motion: Forces Acting on a Particle

5th Year Physics — October Lesson Plan

Irish Curriculum · Physics

Week	1 Day/Week	2 Day/Week	3 Day/Week
October 1st week (Physics)	Forces and Motion: Forces Acting on a Particle 1: Newton’s three laws of motion	Forces and Motion: Forces Acting on a Particle 1: Newton’s three laws of motion 2: Practice / retrieval task	Forces and Motion: Forces Acting on a Particle 1: Newton’s three laws of motion 2: Practical / data / discussion activity 3: Check for understanding
October 2nd week (Physics)	Forces and Motion: Forces Acting on a Particle 1: Types of forces and resultant force	Forces and Motion: Forces Acting on a Particle 1: Types of forces and resultant force 2: Practice / retrieval task	Forces and Motion: Forces Acting on a Particle 1: Types of forces and resultant force 2: Practical / data / discussion activity 3: Check for understanding
October 3rd week (Physics)	Forces and Motion: Forces Acting on a Particle 1: Density and pressure in fluids	Forces and Motion: Forces Acting on a Particle 1: Density and pressure in fluids 2: Practice / retrieval task	Forces and Motion: Forces Acting on a Particle 1: Density and pressure in fluids 2: Practical / data / discussion activity 3: Check for understanding
October 4th week (Physics)	Forces and Motion: Forces Acting on a Particle 1: Momentum and collisions	Forces and Motion: Forces Acting on a Particle 1: Momentum and collisions 2: Practice / retrieval task	Forces and Motion: Forces Acting on a Particle 1: Momentum and collisions 2: Practical / data / discussion activity 3: Check for understanding

November · Forces and Motion: Stretching, Compressing and Energy

5th Year Physics — November Lesson Plan

Irish Curriculum · Physics

Week	1 Day/Week	2 Day/Week	3 Day/Week
November 1st week (Physics)	Forces and Motion: Stretching, Compressing and Energy 1: Hooke’s law	Forces and Motion: Stretching, Compressing and Energy 1: Hooke’s law 2: Practice / retrieval task	Forces and Motion: Stretching, Compressing and Energy 1: Hooke’s law 2: Practical / data / discussion activity 3: Check for understanding
November 2nd week (Physics)	Forces and Motion: Stretching, Compressing and Energy 1: Work done in stretching and compressing	Forces and Motion: Stretching, Compressing and Energy 1: Work done in stretching and compressing 2: Practice / retrieval task	Forces and Motion: Stretching, Compressing and Energy 1: Work done in stretching and compressing 2: Practical / data / discussion activity 3: Check for understanding
November 3rd week (Physics)	Forces and Motion: Stretching, Compressing and Energy 1: Work, energy and power	Forces and Motion: Stretching, Compressing and Energy 1: Work, energy and power 2: Practice / retrieval task	Forces and Motion: Stretching, Compressing and Energy 1: Work, energy and power 2: Practical / data / discussion activity 3: Check for understanding
November 4th week (Physics)	Forces and Motion: Stretching, Compressing and Energy 1: Conservation of energy	Forces and Motion: Stretching, Compressing and Energy 1: Conservation of energy 2: Practice / retrieval task	Forces and Motion: Stretching, Compressing and Energy 1: Conservation of energy 2: Practical / data / discussion activity 3: Check for understanding

December · Forces and Motion: Gravitation and Circular Motion

5th Year Physics — December Lesson Plan

Irish Curriculum · Physics

Week	1 Day/Week	2 Day/Week	3 Day/Week
December 1st week (Physics)	Forces and Motion: Gravitation and Circular Motion 1: Acceleration due to gravity	Forces and Motion: Gravitation and Circular Motion 1: Acceleration due to gravity 2: Practice / retrieval task	Forces and Motion: Gravitation and Circular Motion 1: Acceleration due to gravity 2: Practical / data / discussion activity 3: Check for understanding
December 2nd week (Physics)	Forces and Motion: Gravitation and Circular Motion 1: Newton’s law of universal gravitation	Forces and Motion: Gravitation and Circular Motion 1: Newton’s law of universal gravitation 2: Practice / retrieval task	Forces and Motion: Gravitation and Circular Motion 1: Newton’s law of universal gravitation 2: Practical / data / discussion activity 3: Check for understanding
December 3rd week (Physics)	Forces and Motion: Gravitation and Circular Motion 1: Uniform circular motion and centripetal force	Forces and Motion: Gravitation and Circular Motion 1: Uniform circular motion and centripetal force 2: Practice / retrieval task	Forces and Motion: Gravitation and Circular Motion 1: Uniform circular motion and centripetal force 2: Practical / data / discussion activity 3: Check for understanding
December 4th week (Physics)	Forces and Motion: Gravitation and Circular Motion 1: Satellites and their orbits	Forces and Motion: Gravitation and Circular Motion 1: Satellites and their orbits 2: Practice / retrieval task	Forces and Motion: Gravitation and Circular Motion 1: Satellites and their orbits 2: Practical / data / discussion activity 3: Check for understanding

The learning framework

Anatomy of a focused lesson

Each session moves from a clear focus to guided practice and a quick check for understanding.

10 minutes

Retrieve and diagnose

Open with short questions that check the prior knowledge needed for the week’s 5th Year Physics topic.

25 minutes

Explore and explain

Work through the concept with diagrams and worked examples, then apply it to data, practicals and Leaving Cert-style questions.

10 minutes

Check for understanding

Finish with a short question or data task that shows progress towards the Leaving Cert exam.

Student learning toolkit

Resources for 5th Year Physics

Concept lessons

Clear explanations of every unit in the Leaving Certificate Physics specification, in course order.

Practicals & investigations

Guided practicals, data analysis and support with the Physics in Practice Investigation.

Exam-style practice

Leaving Cert Physics questions at Higher and Ordinary Level with worked solutions.

Progress notes

Regular feedback for parents on strengths, gaps and next steps.

Free first lesson

Build a plan for 5th Year Physics

Tell us your child’s level (Higher or Ordinary) and where they are with Leaving Cert Physics, and we will shape the first grind around the 5th Year Physics topics that matter most.

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A recommended next-step study plan