Curated OER
Oscillations
Students construct and compare the actions of various pendulums. In this pendulum motion lesson, students build and test different types of pendulums. They conduct experiments with the length of the swing arm and apply mathematical...
Curated OER
Motion: Speed, Velocity, Acceleration and Networking
Students interpret a variety of motion graphs. In this physics lesson, students calculate the speed and acceleration of objects using numerical data from graphs. They apply what they have learned to solve real world problems.
Curated OER
High Mountain Retreat
Students explore and analyze atmospheric conditions for a high mountain retreat. They examine the relationship between altitude, atmospheric pressure, temperature and humidity at a particular location. In addition, they write reports...
Curated OER
Chemistry is pHun
High schoolers investigate the pH of solutions and they learn how to use different types of indicators. In this pH lesson plan, students test various solutions with pH paper and determine if they are acidic, basic or neutral. They also...
Curated OER
Building Polymer Cup Speakers
Students investigate sound waves and they build audio speakers. In this audio speakers and sound lesson, students explore how to make quality audio speakers. As a team they build their own speakers to have clarity in sound, quality in...
Curated OER
Every Square Inch Counts
Students monitor the abundance of organisms in photograph quadrats. In this environmental monitoring lesson, students view pictures of rocky intertidal and subtidal marine zones and discuss the importance of monitoring organism...
Curated OER
Your Own El Nino
Young scholars conduct an experiment. In this El Nino lesson, students learn where El Nino storms come from, what they consist of and what effects they have. Young scholars also complete an experiment where they create a miniature El...
Curated OER
Inclined Plane and Pulley
Students describe how inclined plane and pulleys make work easier. In this physics lesson, students calculate work done and mechanical advantage of both simple machines. They collect data from the experiment and construct graphs.
Polar Trec
Playground Profiling—Topographic Profile Mapping
The Kuril islands stretch from Japan to Russia, and the ongoing dispute about their jurisdiction prevents many scientific research studies. Scholars learn to create a topographic profile of a specific area around their schools. Then they...
Safe Drinking Water Foundation
To Filter or Not to Filter
Drinking clean water can be taken for granted. Explore the process and high cost of filtering water with a water pollution and filtration activity. Young scientist build a filtration system to filter polluted water, examine the economics...
PHET
Mapping the Field of a Dipole Magnet
High school scientists build their own magnetometer and use it to map the field surrounding a bar magnet. Excellent background resources is included, as well as a diagram of how to build the magnetometer.
Cornell University
Build a Fuel Cell
Discover the connection between redox reactions and fuel cells. Collaborative groups build a Hoffmann Apparatus that demonstrates the electrolysis of water and then convert their models into a fuel cell. They use their fuel cells to...
Curated OER
Paper Rockets
Students design, construct, and fly paper rockets that travel the greatest distance possible across a floor model of the solar system. They construct small flying rockets out of paper and propel them by blowing air through a straw.
Curated OER
How Tall is that Tree?
Students apply their math skills to develop an accurate estimate of the height of a tall tree. Three different methods are outlined. All grade levels should be able to perform the shadow method and the proportional method.
Curated OER
Round and Round
Learners interpret data from a three-dimensional array of current monitors to determine an overall pattern of water circulation. They hypothesize what effect an observed water circulation pattern might have on seamount fauna. A very...
NASA
Just How Far is That Star?
Pupils often wonder how we know the distance to various stars. Starting with a thought experiment and progressing to a physical experiment, they determine the brightness and distance to various stars. The evaluation requires critical...
NASA
Foam Rocket
When going for distance, does it make a difference at what angle you launch the rocket? Teams of three launch foam rockets, varying the launch angle and determining how far they flew. After conducting the series of flights three times,...
NASA
Newton Car
If a car gets heavier, it goes farther? By running an activity several times, teams experience Newton's Second Law of Motion. The teams vary the amount of weight they catapult off a wooden block car and record the distance the car...
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Developing Formulas for Circles and Regular Polygons
Formulas and procedures for finding the area and circumference are not provided on this handout, so it will be best used as a practice of already-acquired skills. It is a well-rounded assignment, however, as it includes diagrams,...
Curated OER
Orienting a Photovoltaic Cell
By mounting a light bulb on a stand and a PV cell on another, physics apprentices experiment with the angle of incidence. Their goal is to determine the optimum angle for collecting solar energy. The use of a scientific calculator is...
Nuffield Foundation
No Stomach for It: Investigating Antacid Medication
You won't get a stomachache doing an investigative experiment. Pupils simulate the effect of antacids on stomach acid. Obviously, they won't be using real stomach acid; diluted hydrochloric acid serves this purpose.
Curated OER
Periodic Motion - The Pendulum
Students study the concept of periodic motion and relate it to the movement of a pendulum. They discover that the period of a pendulum is dependent on the length of the pendulum and independent of the bob and the amplitude.
Curated OER
"Graphing Your Motion"
Young scholars study the concepts of motion, velocity, and acceleration through graphing their own movement using LoggerPro. They explain the difference between speed and velocity using the weather vane example. They discover the...
Curated OER
Simple Machines - Graphics, Experiments, Animation
Twelfth graders display simple machines through the use of graphics, experiments, and animation. They apply problem solving and design and skills.