Students draw series and parallel electrical circuits. In this electromagnet instructional activity, students describe how current changes depend on circuit components. Students use an OHT of a series and parallel circuit to...

Students use a selection of solar panels, lamps, motors, and an AA battery to get as many motors or lights to operate as they can in an allotted time period. For each successful arrangement, they draw a diagram of their setup, label the...

Third graders view a PowerPoint and participate in an experiment about sound.  For this sound lesson, 3rd graders press on a slinky with different amounts of force to understand energy waves moving and echoing back. Students discuss...

Students observe water change from a liquid to a gas state when heated and then return to its liquid stage when cooled. They learn that gas molecules move faster than liquid molecules. They discover physical properties that describe how...

Young scholars drop water from different heights to demonstrate the conversion of water's potential energy to kinetic energy. They see how varying the height from which water is dropped affects the splash size. In seeing how falling...

Learners examine how wind energy is transformed into electrical energy. In pairs, they build miniature wind turbines and measure how much electrical current they produce. They asses the importance of design and position in energy...

Students explore the variety of ways to use solar energy. They investigate the thermal energy storage capacities of different test materials to determine which to use in passive solar building design. They explain how passive solar...

Student groups rotate through four stations to examine light energy behavior: refraction, magnification, prisms and polarization. They see how a beam of light is refracted (bent) through various transparent mediums. Students investigate...

Third graders observe light as a form of energy, that it can be reflected/bounced, refracted/bent and absorbed. They explore how different types of light affect our lives as a whole. Songs are researched that involve light (ex. "You...

Learners apply their knowledge of friction, drag, mass and gravity as they design, build, and test mini-bobsleds.

Students conduct Internet research to track the path of Hurricane Rita. They record the sea surface temperature of the Gulf of Mexico during and after the hurricane and draw conclusions about how hurricanes extract heat energy from the...

Learners explain the relationship between magnetism and electricity. In this physics lesson plan, students describe the transformation of energy. They create an electromagnet and investigate the factors affecting its strength.

Third graders read, write, and listen to information about the sun and its effects on the Earth.as it relates to its axis, orbit, rotate, and revolution.  In this solar system lesson, 3rd graders examine how the sun...

Students understand what physical adaptations are and how they help an animal to survive. In this adaptations instructional activity, students research four animals and then make an original animal that has adaptations to make them survive.

Young scholars explore musical pitch. In this cross curriculum musical instruments and "sound" physics lesson, students identify and describe common traits of woodwind instruments. Young scholars research "pitch" and what causes pitch...

Get children's blood pumping with this primary grade lesson on the human heart. After learning about the important role this muscle plays in the human body, students monitor their heart rates and discover the importance of...

Students, in groups, use given materials to devise a way to deposit a ping-pong ball into a paper cup that is located in the middle of a 6-foot diameter circle, while standing outside the circle.

Students build a device that captures and carries a pet rat safely back to its cage with out "harming" the rat or themselves. They build and experiment with wind-up or battery operated rat cat toys after predicting the outcome of their...

Groups rotate through a series of stations and work with a partner to observe sound waves. Children describe sound in terms of pitch, volume, and frequency. To apply their new knowledge, the class considers how these observations can...

Students design and construct a listening device that will allow them to listen to the sound generated by specific object inside a box.

Students discuss Newton's laws of motion. The conduct motion experiments by building "Newton Rocket Cars" from assorted materials. They propel the cars with rubber bands and wooden blocks and record the distance traveled on data sheets.

Third graders understand that the smallest particle is an atom. In this matter activity, 3rd graders make a piece of aluminum smaller and smaller to see that what's left is still aluminum. Students recognize that cutting into smaller...

Students investigate the properties of insulators by attempting to keep a cup of water from freezing, and once it is frozen, to keep it from melting. They conduct the experiment, record and analyze the results, and answer discussion...

Students create spectral colors. In this hands-on science lesson, students examine the electromagnetic spectrum as they follow steps to create a model that separates and displays light.