Here's a force to be reckoned with in the physics classroom! Scholars discover the movements associated with tension, compression, and other common forces through a hands-on simulation. Pupils pull, push, and twist their way through each...

Why is wood good for building houses, but not the best choice for high-rise apartments? Future materials scientists put building materials to the test using a hands-on interactive. Pupils pull and push on substances such as reinforced...

Learners investigate how to design and build items with a focus on structural strength as an engineer would. They complete a truss-building project as a final assessment.

Everything from pens to cars use springs — some are just on a larger scale! An interactive simulation encourages pupils to stretch and compress springs while observing the changes to force, displacement, and potential energy. Then they...

Plunge into a gas pressure activity! Junior physical scientists manipulate a syringe to study the particle model of gases. The interactive invites investigations of particle movements in capped versus uncapped syringes.

Middle schoolers construct a variety of forms, test their strength, and discuss how tension and compression are distributed by triangles, arches, and domes.

We can't see most gases and we can't see things at the molecular level — but that's about to change! A simulation shows pupils the activity of molecules in a gas. The simulation allows scholars to vary the volume, heat, and...

Students conduct several simple lab activities to explore the five fundamental load types that can act on structures: tension, compression, shear, bending, and torsion. In this activity, students play the role of molecules in a beam...

Teams of Texas tourists gather into groups to analyze what they can do with $50 worth of an alternative fuel. They write checks, keep a balance sheet, and map out their sight-seeing route taking into consideration the location of...

Your geology class practices taking core samples of a potato to examine the stratigraphy. This is a terrific modeling lesson that helps youngsters visualize strata that cannot be seen from the surface of the ground. The directions...

Make sound waves visible with an experiment that asks middle schoolers to build a model ear drum using plastic bottles, rubber bands, plastic wrap, and sand-like substances.

How does examining an ice core tell us about weather? Learners set up and explore fake ice cores made of sugar, salt, and ash to represent historical snowfall and volcanic eruptions. From their setups, scholars determine what caused the...

Students explain that air pressure applies a force. If any of students have flown in an airplane, they have felt the "popping" of their ears caused by the change in atmospheric pressure because of the altitude changes.

Students design and build their own truss. In this physics lesson, students calculate the forces and maximum load. They complete a full scale diagram of their design.

pupils participate in hands-on activities to discover the different types of fossils. Using teacher-provided materials, they make models of cast and trace fossils. After writing essays describing how traces are formed, students plan a...