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Forces and Cannons

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students create an Alka-Seltzer cannon in this lesson. They explore the difference between balanced and unbalanced forces, and how unbalanced forces can cause motion. They then examine how a cannon works and create their own.
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Pendulums on the Moon

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners conduct experiments to determine if length, mass, or starting angle has any effect on the rate of a pendulum's swing. They also conduct an experiment online to determine if gravitational force plays a role in the swing. Groups...
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F = a, Inertia, and Friction

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders use a matchbox car to push across a hard surface and observe what happens. They then push the car across a soft or rough surface and discover what happens. The two ideas are discusses as Newton's First and Second Laws of...
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Paper Towers

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students have the opportunity to use model-building as a way to help comprehend the forces and phenomena at work in the world around them. They describe gravity as a universal force that pulls everything toward the center of the earth....
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Density

For Teachers 1st - 4th
Students explore and analyze the relationship between density, mass, volume and ratios. They complete a lab to define mass and volume and then show the density that equals a mass and volume formula. Their lab involves a suitcase,...
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Gravity Gets You Down

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students investigate the force of gravity and how it effects different objects that are put into acceleration when applied the experiment of free falling. They drop different objects that have a variety of masses and some that cause air...
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Traveling Through the Solar System

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers use calculator and non-calculator methods for analyzing data. They apply data collection and analysis in a study of mass and weight. Students enhance and apply the concept of line of best fit. They master graphing in a...
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To Float or Not to Float, That is the Question?

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders develop operational definition of density, do computations using density equation, categorize pieces of matter as being able to float on water or not, based on density, explain why some objects sink or float based on...
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Making Cents of Density

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students utilize their knowledge of the physical properties of matter such as mass, volume, and density to solve a problem. They utilize the scientific method to solve a problem. Pupils analyze their data to determine whether their...
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Hovercraft

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students assess human impact on water quality. They determine how the force of friction retards motion. Pupils describe and measure quantities that characterize moving objects and their interactions within a system: Time, Distance,...
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Activity #4 The Density of Irregularly Shaped Solids

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Learners comrehend that water displacement is a simple way to measure the volume of a solid object. They pour water into a graduated cylinder or measuring cup and its volume is read and recorded. Pupils the volume of an object by...
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Activit #2 Matter: Is It Conserved?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students support the law of conservation of matter with evidence. They discuss the changes observed from the burning of the candle, and the differences in mass which are observed when the same reaction is carried out in an open or...
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What State Are You?

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students identify three states of matter and recognize plasma as fourth state. They provide examples of matter that are classified in particular state and identify properties of each state of matter.
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Mass: Applying and Interpreting

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Learners rotate through six studying stations solving problems that involve applying and interpreting aspects of mass. They solve various word problems, and measure the contents of cans and calculate the mass of two cans.
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Move It!

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students observe a demonstration presented by the teacher covering different types of energy. They participate in an experiment where they study numerous physics vocabulary words and visit websites that demonstrate examples of these...
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Forces and Graphing

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students analyze graphs to determine relationships between variables and rates of change. They determine the basic concepts about static reaction forces. They determine the slope and equation of a line.
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Crash! Bang!

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Young scholars study the physical force of linear momentum by investigating collisions. They analyze the difference between elastic and inelastic collisions. They calculate linear momentum.
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Bombs Away!

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students design and build a device to protect and accurately deliver a dropped egg. They review and study a number of vocabulary words that are associated with this lesson. They work in a small group in order to develop a successful...
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Terror in Space

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students view a video clip about the role of satellites in space. They examine the concept of center of mass. They participate in an experiment showing how altering the location of an object's center of mass can change its motion.
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Newton Gets Me Moving

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners 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.
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What Floats Your Boat?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students are introduced to the concept of buoyancy. The Video used in this lesson demonstrates and explains the characteristics of objects that sink and float. It presents the concepts of displacement, weight, and buoyancy.
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Density Derby

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Students explore the relationship between mass, volume and density. They use model boats to discover how changing mass and volume affect density. This is a very engaging lesson which provides great demonstrations and hands-on activities.
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Density And Volume

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders explore the concept of density as a relationship of an object's mass to its volume. Densities of a variety of objects are compared and used to identify an unknown object.
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Creating Craters

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Young scholars explore parts of an impact crater and compare and contrast craters found in Earth, the Moon, and Mars. Crater formation is modelled and the relationship of mass, velocity, and size of the projectile to the crater formation...