Curated OER
Airports
Students respond to movement cues while maintaining their balance. In this movement and balance lesson, students gain understanding of general self space concepts while imagining themselves as an airplane. Students respond to high,...
Curated OER
Up, Up, and Away
Young scholars study the concepts of speed and velocity and complete practice problems. In small groups, students fly airplanes and record time and distance traveled for each flight. They calculate the speed and velocity of their plane...
Curated OER
Rocket Launch
High schoolers consider constraints which contribute to the design of a model rocket. They begin to analyze a model rocket's design and flight. They must be very specific in their thoughts and discussions.
Curated OER
Up, Up and Away
Tenth graders experiment with gravity and air pressure. In this geometry lesson, 10th graders build their own kits and fly it. They investigate the questions: what keeps a kite in the air and what are some important factors when flying a...
Curated OER
There's Air in There!
Students attempt to blow a wad of paper into a soda bottle. In this physics lesson, students discover that air pressure inside of a soda bottle prevents new air from going in.
Curated OER
Balloons: Math with the Montgolfier Balloon
Students discover the history of hot air balloons by watching one ascent. In this physics lesson, students utilize a Montgolfier Hot Air Balloon from an earlier lesson and record the temperature, rate of ascent and the volume. Students...
Curated OER
How Size Shapes Animals
Students investigate how size affects large and small animals differently. In this animal lesson plan, students determine how size affects different animals by constructing their own animal out of marshmallows. Once students create...
Curated OER
Mixing and Stirring
Students experience mixing through dancing. In this physical science lesson plan, students not only dance to show mixing but also demonstrate mixing and stirring by combining milk and chocolate milk.
Curated OER
How High Can You Fly?
Students learn the four concepts of flight; drag, lift, thrust, and weight. In this scientific inquiry lesson, students participate in a flight activity where they jump as high as they can to stamp a large sheet of paper and measure and...
It's About Time
Defy Gravity
Test the limits of gravity while encouraging full class participation with this thrilling lesson. Pupils investigate the meaning of work and how it is equivalent to energy. They explore the joule and apply it as a unit of work. They...
Exploratorium
Whack-a-Stack
Go wild as you hit a stack of wooden blocks to demonstrate Newton's first and second laws of motion. The blocks at the top of the stack stay put as you knock one at a time out of the bottom. Note, however, that you will need to visit a...
Curated OER
Catch a Dream
Young scholars apply the concepts of air pressure, the Bernoulli Effect, and angle of attack to build their own model planes out of paper, plastic, wooden rods, and drinking straws.
Curated OER
Rocketry in Motion
Students investigate why a balloon flies in one direction as air escapes in the opposite direction, which helps them understand the nature of rockets and fireworks. Individually and in teams, students conduct research to create a...
Curated OER
Building And Launching a Model Rocket
Students are introduced to the basic parts of rockets and the physical forces at work in the flight of rockets. They build and launch a model rocket and discuss the challenges of launching a real rocket.
Curated OER
Catapults!
Pupils work together to discover the relationship between the angle of catapults and the flight of different objects. They discover the heavier the object the more force is needed. They examine how engineers use this information to...
Curated OER
Parachute Color Match
Students explore the concept of color awareness and matching. In this color awareness activity, students participate in a parachute activity to build their knowledge of matching colors. This activity involves using a beanbag and...
Curated OER
Dinosaurs Were Real!
Students investigate the history of dinosaurs, as real animals. For this dinosaur lesson plan, students examine basic concepts that help them understand the history of all life. Included in this article is information on the world of...
Curated OER
Kites: Patang - The Indian Fighter Kite
Students investigate the history of fighter kites and build their own. In this aeronautics lesson, students discover how other countries utilize fighter kites and where they originated. Students create their own fighter kites in class...
Curated OER
Up, Up and Away with the Montgolfier Balloon
Students construct hot air balloons. In this science lesson, students assemble their own balloon using tissue paper and glue. They time the duration of the flight, record data and calculate team averages.
Curated OER
What Makes a Kite Fly?
Ninth graders compare the nature of forces of gravity, lift, thrust, and drag. They select proper materials for making a kite and attach a proper tail. Students interpret and summarize the observations made during the flight of the kites.
Curated OER
Snowflake, Snowflake
Students practice locomotor and listening skills. Students pretend to be snowflakes. As the teacher reads about snowflakes, students perform the task mentioned. They walk, dance, jump, etc.
Curated OER
Perpetual Motion
Middle schoolers discuss movement of air currents and then experiment to create visible models of air currents. Students connect the model to weather patterns.
Cornell University
Catapults
Ready, aim, fire! Launch to a new level of understanding as scholars build and test their own catapults. Learners explore lever design and how adjusting the fulcrum changes the outcome.
ARKive
Marvellous Mini-beasts – Design a Species
Here is a creative activity that teaches kids how species evolve different characteristics for survival. The lesson begins as the class discusses and examines the adaptive traits of mini-beasts or insects. Then, in small groups, they...