A good Do Now settles the class, retrieves prior knowledge and gives the teacher an immediate sense of what pupils remember. It should be short, clear and possible to begin without further explanation.
Most of these activities can be completed in three to seven minutes. They can be displayed on the board, printed on a small sheet or copied into pupils’ books.
1. Five quick retrieval questions
Display five short questions from recent lessons.
For example:
- State the unit of current.
- Write the equation linking force, mass and acceleration.
- What type of energy is stored in a stretched spring?
- Name the process that transfers energy through a solid.
- What happens to resistance when two resistors are connected in series?
Use a mixture of questions from yesterday, last week and an older topic. This helps pupils retrieve knowledge over longer periods rather than remembering only the most recent lesson.
2. Complete the equations
Give pupils several incomplete equations to finish.
For example:
- force = mass × ______
- power = energy transferred ÷ ______
- wave speed = frequency × ______
- charge flow = current × ______
- density = mass ÷ ______
For greater challenge, ask pupils to include the correct symbol and unit for every quantity.
This is a simple way to build familiarity with the GCSE equation sheet without asking pupils merely to copy equations.
3. Spot the physics mistake
Display three statements containing common misconceptions.
For example:
- Current is used up by a lamp.
- Heavier objects always fall faster.
- Insulation creates thermal energy.
Pupils must identify each mistake and rewrite the statement correctly.
This activity is particularly useful because pupils often remember misconceptions even after the correct explanation has been taught.
4. Draw and label a diagram
Ask pupils to produce a quick scientific diagram from memory.
Possible examples include:
- a series circuit containing a cell, lamp and ammeter
- a ray reflecting from a mirror
- the forces acting on a falling object
- the structure of an atom
- a transformer
- a transverse wave
- a magnetic field around a bar magnet
The task can be extended by asking pupils to add labels, arrows or one sentence of explanation.
5. Odd one out
Give pupils three or four physics terms and ask them to identify the odd one out.
For example:
- conduction
- convection
- radiation
- evaporation
Several answers may be possible, provided pupils justify their reasoning.
This encourages pupils to compare concepts rather than recall isolated definitions. It also creates useful discussion because different pupils may choose different answers.
6. Rank these
Give pupils a set of objects, quantities or situations to place in order.
Examples include:
- rank four appliances by power
- rank four objects by kinetic energy
- rank electromagnetic waves by frequency
- rank materials by density
- rank circuits by total resistance
- rank planets by gravitational field strength
Pupils should explain the reason for their order rather than simply writing the sequence.
7. One calculation from yesterday
Display one short calculation based on the previous lesson.
For example:
A car travels 150 metres in 10 seconds. Calculate its speed.
Pupils should write:
- the equation
- the substitution
- the answer
- the correct unit
A single carefully chosen calculation can reveal whether pupils remember both the physics and the expected method.
8. Three things you remember
Ask pupils to write three facts they remember about a topic without looking at their notes.
For example:
Write three things you remember about radioactivity.
You can then ask pupils to compare their answers with a partner and add one fact they had forgotten.
This is a useful starter when beginning the second or third lesson in a sequence because it helps pupils reactivate the knowledge needed for the new lesson.
9. Which equation would you use?
Give pupils several short situations without asking them to complete the calculation.
For example:
- A cyclist travels 600 metres in 40 seconds.
- A 5 kg object is lifted through 2 metres.
- A current of 3 A flows for 20 seconds.
- A force of 200 N acts over an area of 4 m².
Pupils write the equation needed for each question.
This separates the skill of selecting an equation from the later challenge of rearranging and calculating.
10. Match the key term to the definition
Provide a list of physics terms and a separate list of definitions.
For example:
- acceleration
- velocity
- resultant force
- stopping distance
- terminal velocity
Pupils match each term to the correct definition.
To increase the challenge, include one unused definition or ask pupils to improve a definition that is incomplete.
11. True, false or depends
Display several statements and ask pupils to decide whether each is true, false or depends on the situation.
Examples include:
- A moving object always has a resultant force acting on it.
- Increasing voltage always increases current.
- A heavier object has more gravitational potential energy.
- All radioactive sources are equally dangerous.
- A larger force always produces a larger acceleration.
The phrase “it depends” encourages pupils to consider conditions and variables rather than treating physics as a collection of rigid statements.
12. Label the graph
Display an unlabeled graph and ask pupils to add the missing information.
Possible examples include:
- a distance–time graph
- a velocity–time graph
- a force–extension graph
- a current–potential difference graph
- a heating or cooling curve
- a radioactive decay graph
Pupils might label the axes, describe different sections or identify where a quantity is increasing, decreasing or remaining constant.
13. Explain it in one sentence
Give pupils a GCSE Physics question that must be answered in one precise sentence.
For example:
- Why does a bulb become hotter when current passes through it?
- Why is the current the same throughout a series circuit?
- Why does braking distance increase at higher speeds?
- Why does a gas exert pressure?
- Why can sound not travel through a vacuum?
Limiting the answer to one sentence forces pupils to choose the most important scientific idea and use precise vocabulary.
14. Find the missing unit
Display quantities with their units removed.
For example:
- energy transferred = 500 ___
- current = 2.5 ___
- resistance = 12 ___
- frequency = 50 ___
- force = 200 ___
- activity = 300 ___
Pupils add the correct unit and, where appropriate, the unit symbol.
You can make the task more demanding by including less familiar units such as becquerels, pascals and coulombs.
15. What would happen if…?
Give pupils a change to a physical system and ask them to predict the result.
Examples include:
- What happens to current if resistance increases while voltage stays constant?
- What happens to gravitational potential energy if height doubles?
- What happens to wavelength if frequency increases while wave speed stays constant?
- What happens to acceleration if the same force acts on a greater mass?
- What happens to pressure if the same force acts over a smaller area?
Pupils should make a prediction and explain it using an equation or scientific idea.
16. Improve the exam answer
Display a weak answer to a GCSE question.
For example:
Question: Explain why a metal pan conducts thermal energy well.
Weak answer: Because metal gets hot quickly.
Pupils improve the answer by adding the missing physics:
Met exam answer
Display a weak answer to a GCSE questionals contain free electrons that transfer energy rapidly through the material.
This helps pupils understand the difference between an everyday description and an answer that would gain marks in an examination.
17. Mixed-topic mini quiz
Use four short questions from different GCSE Physics topics.
For example:
- State the unit of power.
- Calculate the weight of a 6 kg object when gravitational field strength is 10 N/kg.
- Name the electromagnetic wave used in TV remote controls.
- Explain why parallel circuits are used in homes.
Mixing topics makes retrieval more demanding because pupils must first identify which area of physics each question belongs to.
It also ensures that older topics continue to appear throughout the course rather than disappearing once the end-of-topic test has been completed.
Making Do Nows work well
The most effective Do Nows are brief, familiar and carefully chosen. Pupils should know that they enter the room, sit down and begin immediately.
The activity should not require equipment to be handed out, lengthy instructions or a new concept to be taught before pupils can start.
Answers should usually be reviewed quickly. Teachers can cold call pupils, display model answers or ask pupils to correct their own work in a different-coloured pen.
The aim is not to fill the first five minutes of a lesson. A strong Do Now helps pupils settle, strengthens long-term memory and prepares them for the physics they are about to learn.