Handout
eSchool Today

E School Today: All About Forces

For Students 3rd - 8th
Forces are everywhere. Learn what they are, the characteristics of forces, different kinds of forces, and factors that affect them.
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Force and Motion: Gravity and Wind Resistance

For Teachers 3rd - 7th
Students investigate the effects of force on objects in motion particularly as it relates to gravity and wind resistance by performing a classroom egg-drop activity.
Unknown Type
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Applying Gravity to a Particle

For Students 9th - 10th
Next, let's apply all these ideas to the case where a particle is being acted on by both gravity and air resistance using this 5-question quiz/practice. The gravity force vector points downward, and the air resistance force opposes it.
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Investigating Air Resistance

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
In this lab, students will investigate what factors affect air resistance while introducing gravity and other forces.
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Blow and Go Parachute

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students make a skydiver and parachute contraption to demonstrate how drag caused by air resistance slows the descent of skydivers as they travel back to Earth. Gravity pulls the skydiver toward the Earth, while the air trapped by the...
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Flying With Style

For Teachers 10th - 12th
As students begin to understand the physics behind thrust, drag, and gravity and how these relate these to Newton's three laws of motion, groups assemble and launch the rockets that they designed in the associated lesson.
Unit Plan
E-learning for Kids

E Learning for Kids: Science: Pirates: What Are Some Forces Around Us?

For Students 4th - 6th
Covers the meanings of force, friction, and gravity, and the differences between magnetic and elastic spring force, and between weight and mass. The effect of air resistance on an object's motion is also touched upon.
Lesson Plan
Discovery Education

Discovery Education: Physical Science: Gravity Gets You Down

For Teachers 6th - 9th
In this instructional activity, young scholars make predictions about falling objects of different sizes and masses to learn about gravity and air resistance. Includes audio vocabulary list and extension activities.
Activity
Exploratorium

Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Physics/mechanics (Force and Motion)

For Students 9th - 10th
A collection of mechanics activities. Many pertain to Newton's laws of motion. Step-by-step directions provided with illustrations. Great for teacher demos or student projects.
Online Course
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Mit: Open Course Ware: Courses: Physics: Classical Mechanics

For Teachers 9th - 10th
College-level online course highlighting the study of classical mechanics. This course focuses on Newtonian mechanics, fluid mechanics, and kinetic gas theory. Course features include a 35 video lecture series by Walter Lewin. Also link...
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Parachutes: Does Size Matter?

For Students 4th - 8th
Experiment with different sizes of parachutes to find out if size matters when slowing the descent of the parachute. The Science Buddies project ideas are set up consistently beginning with an abstract, objective, and introduction,...
Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Water and Dams in Today's World

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students learn about the importance of dams by watching a video that presents historical and current information on dams, as well as descriptions of global water resources and the hydrologic cycle. Students also learn about different...
Article
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: What Is Newton's First Law?

For Students 9th - 10th
Newton's First Law also called the law of inertia is the most important thing to realize about motion. This article offers more information on motion and explains solved problems involving Newton's First Law. Also included is a video...
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: The Stress That You Apply

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students learn about contact stress and its applications in engineering. They are introduced to the concept of heavy loads, such as buildings, elephants, people and traffic, and learn how those heavy loads apply contact stress. Through...
Website
NASA

Nasa: Beginner's Guide to Aerodynamics

For Students 9th - 10th
Includes exhaustive information and a wealth of activities pertaining to aerodynamics and the physics of flight.
Unit Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Dams

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Through eight lessons, students are introduced to many facets of dams, including their basic components, the common types (all designed to resist strong forces), their primary benefits (electricity generation, water supply, flood...
Activity
University of Minnesota

The Physics of Flight: Bernoulli's Principle

For Students 9th - 10th
Discusses air flow around the wing of a plane and its effect upon the lift and drag forces. Focuses on the application of Bernoulli's principle to wing design and the subsequent airfoil shapes.
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Sliding Textbooks

For Teachers 5th - 7th
In this culminating activity of the unit which highlights how forces play a role in engineering design and material choices, students explore and apply their knowledge of forces, friction, acceleration, and gravity in a two-part experiment.
Handout
Science Struck

Science Struck: A Comprehensive List of All the Physics Formulas

For Students 9th - 10th
Provides a long list of physics formulas for easy reference.