Raise the energy level of your physical science class with this exciting hands-on activity. Applying their knowledge of kinetic and potential energy and Newton's laws of motion, young engineers use foam tubing and marbles to create...

Take a look at acceleration within the context of automotive technology. They vary the mass on a toy car and run it down a ramp, exploring Newton's second law of motion. Though this is a classic lab activity, you will appreciate the...

Groups simulate an orbit using a piece of string and a water balloon. Individuals spin in a circular path and calculate the balloon's velocity when the clothes pin can no longer hold onto the balloon.

How much time does it take to jump over three balloons? Pupils calculate the speed of tasks that require different motions. They determine motions for tasks such as walking, skipping, hopping, and jumping before creating a...

You have to crack a few eggs to make a good engineer! Working in small groups, young scholars design, build, and test devices that protect an egg from breaking when dropped from a ladder.

The classic egg-drop experiment gets a new bounce with an activity that asks pairs to design a lander similar to one used to land a rover on Mars within a fixed budget. The activity provides a great introduction to the idea of...

Design protection from high-speed particles. The STEM lesson plan highlights why astronauts need protection from space debris. Pupils use the design process to design, build, and test a spacesuit that will protect a balloon from a...

Computer-interfaced motion detectors are required to carry out this inquiry. It is a new twist on exploring motion with plunger carts: they are set back-to-back and then propelled away from each other. Their velocities are measured, and...

The jet stream can reach speeds of up to 250 miles per hour. Scholars learn about the jet stream and ocean currents as they rotate through stations. They answer questions leading them to understand the impact these fluid streams have on...

Though an alternative method is suggested, the best way to carry out this investigation is with the use of a computer-interfaced motion detector. Physics fanatics hang a mass on the end of a spring and analyze its motion verbally,...

Learners explore logic and use Geometer’s Sketchpad and patterns of logic to solve a puzzle.