Scientific method, linear measurements, friction, inertia. Imagine learning scientific vocabulary in an ELA class. Before researching and developing a presentation about simple machines, class members build a common, but decidedly...

Students study the physics used to design today's roller coasters.  In this engineering lesson students complete several activities including designing their own roller coaster. 

Young scholars create a car using physics. In this forces and motion lesson, students create a car and test which changes in design change the performance of the car. Young scholars complete a graphic organizer with the...

Students evaluate the friction of tennis sneakers and redesign them to increase friction. In this physics lesson plan, students calculate starting, sideways and forward stopping friction. Using quantitative data, they prove that...

Sixth graders investigate the forces that move certain objects.  In this physics activity, 6th graders design and create paper flying objects using origami methods, which they practice flying in different conditions.  Students...

Students work in small groups to create a power point illustrating Newton's Laws of motion as related to a sport of their choice.

Students investigate the effect of thin films to surface friction. In this physics lesson, students calculate the coefficient of friction using mathematical formulas. They discuss its importance in their everyday lives.

Students research how roller coasters work. In this physics lesson, learners research the history of roller coasters and the safety factors in the design of a roller coaster on the website www.learner.org/exhibits/parkphysics. They...

Students gain first-hand experience on how friction affects motion. They build a hovercraft using air from a balloon to levitate a craft made from a compact disk (CD), learning that a bed of air under an object significantly reduces the...

Planning an elementary science unit has never been simpler! These twelve lessons guide young scientists through an exploration of simple machines and their many uses in the real world before asking them to apply their learning...

Students explore types of motion. In this motion experiment, students observe how objects move. Students work in small groups to discover the laws of motion.

Students design an experiment to investigate how objects with different masses fall. In this physics lesson, students predict how these objects will fall in a vacuum tube. They write a report explaining experimental results and conclusion.

Learners create and build cars to race in class. In this physics lesson, students calculate the speed using distance and time information. They evaluate their design and make adjustments when needed.

Learners examine the concepts of forces and motion. They work together to design protective devices for their egg rovers as they are dropped from a specific height. They record their observations and discuss.

Students investigate an accident and relate it to math. In this trigonometry lesson, students measure the accident scene, the friction produced, and the speed from the skid marks. They create a poster of their findings.

Students make a simple machine. In this physics lesson, students learn about six types of simple machines and the purpose of each and brainstorm examples of simple and complex machines in the classroom. Students create a simple or...

Students design sleds. In this engineering lesson, students collaborate to engineer and build a real working sleds from the materials provided.  This lesson was originally designed to be taught to a group of female students.

Middle schoolers relate Newton's Laws of Motion to the game of baseball. They compare and contrast the materials used in baseballs that could affect their performance. They also determine how friction can be increased or decreased in a...

The principles and uses of inclined planes, screws, and wedges are the focus of a science lesson. In it, youngsters come up with every day examples of simple machines, and build an example of one in class. That project is then used to...

Students design an appropriate and usable storyboard and then create a claymation video. They take digital photographs frame by frame, then assemble the stop-motion movie using video software.

Eighth graders identify balanced and unbalanced forces that affect the movement of objects and Newton's three Laws of Motion. Students also design a contraption utilizing Newton's Laws of Motion that will launch a marshmallow five meters.

Students research Ancient Rome, the Mediterranean Region, Roman myths, and Latin. In this Roman life lesson, students study maps of the region, learn their language and customs, research the Punic wars, the catastrophe of Pompeii, and...