Lesson Plan
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Tinkering with Tops

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
Get kids' heads spinning by challenging them to design a top that will rotate for a minimum of 10 seconds without leaving a 30-cm circle. Groups of learners collaborate through a planning stage, testing stage, and evaluation stage. Some...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Gyroscopes in Motion

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Physics stars will enjoy learning about the conservation of energy as you demonstrate gyroscope precession. The lecture is broken into five subtopics: cross product, rotating vectors, angular momentum, rotating rigid bodies, and torque...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Angular Momentum (Automaticity)

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders experience practicing with a wide variety of vocabulary terms that relate to the Vista/Module "Angular Momentum:" momentum, inertia, force; motion, direction, centripetal force; angular momentum, gyroscope, resist. They...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Qualitative Aspects of Rotational Dynamics

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed
Explanations for six different physics lab activities and five suggested assessments are contained in this resource by the National Science Teachers Association. Any combination can be used to open learners' eyes to rotational motion....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Centripetal Force

For Teachers 4th - 6th
In order to investigate cetntripetal force and angular momentum, youngsters compare the motion of erasers hung from a string. It is not clear what type of Amish toy is needed in the warm up activity, so you may not be able to use it. The...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

TE Activity: Super Spinners!

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students make spinners to investigate rotational inertia, rotational speed, angular momentum, and velocity. They make two sets of spinners that have different mass distributions and shapes. They complete a worksheet while experimenting...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ring Around the Rosie

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Learners examine the concept of angular momentum and its correlation to mass, velocity, and radius. They listen to a teacher-led lecture, conduct an experiment with rotational inertia, angular momentum, and rotation speed by making...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bicycle Wheel Demonstration: Practical Uses of Angular Momentum

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers balance a wheel using one of the wooden handles. In this physics lesson, students predict what direction the wheel rotates after the teacher lets it go. They explain how this demonstrates angular momentum.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Spin Doctor Is In

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students are given the difintion of translational motion, which is the object in motion stays in motion. If you are in a car and the car stops, you keep moving. They then discuss rotational motion, which is a spinning object continues to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

THE PHYSICS OF MOVING THINGS (AND NOT A MOMENTUM TOO SOON!)

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students list three examples of momentum found in their local environment; describe the importance of mass and velocity on momentum; and determine what is necessary to produce the greatest amount of momentum within a particular system.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Frisbee Physics

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students explain how a Frisbee flies, why it's shaped he way it is and how fast and how far the Frisbee can go.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Activity One Teacher Page: Vehicles In Motion

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Young scholars identify variables that affect the system, and specify which variables are independent and which are dependent.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Spin Doctor Is In

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students are introduced to rotational inertia with some example of objects that rotates: Throw a Frisbee acroos the field and it rotates as it moves. The same is true for a baseball and a football. The two motions, translational and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cosmic Ray Momentum

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students describe how cosmic rays achieve high kinetic energy via conservation of momentum.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Physics: Angular Solution of Hydrogen Atom

For Teachers Higher Ed
Students discover the angular solution of hydrogen activity. Depending on the undergraduate course, this activity can illustrate eigenvalue problems, to introduce Shrodinger's equation and particle wave duality, or to introduce...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ring Around the Rosie

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students work together to discover the concept of angular momentum. They participate in experiments in which they test rotation and relate it to an object's mass. They participate in a literacy activity in which they compare mythology...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Skateboard Science

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students investigate how skaters can turn in midair. In this physics lesson, students relate Newton's Laws to skateboarding. They carry out the maneuver with the help of their classmate.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson- Radial Solution, Hydroggen Wavefunction

For Teachers Higher Ed
Student uses Schrodinger's equation applied to a single electron Hydrogen atom. They use angular and radial portions equation to answer questions. Student use a model to answer equation questions.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Spin Me a Story

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students examine the motif of spinning and weaving in myths and folktales. They read various myths, complete a WebQuest, develop a mind map of story elements, and write an original "spider" story.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

May The Fastest Toy Win

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students determine which wind-up toy is the fastest. However, they can NOT race the toys. They must find another way. On the first day of the activity, students work in pairs or small groups to develop and write a plan.
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Angular Momentum Experiment

For Teachers 9th - 10th
After reading about the historical development of concepts of conserved motion, young scholars are directed to a series of activities to gain a better understanding of momentum, conservation of momenta, angular momentum, and conservation...
Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Ring Around the Rosie

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students learn the concept of angular momentum and its correlation to mass, velocity and radius. They experiment with rotation and an object's mass distribution. In an associated literacy activity, students use basic methods of...
Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Swinging on a String

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students explore how pendulums work and why they are useful in everyday applications. In a hands-on activity, they experiment with string length, pendulum weight and angle of release. In an associated literacy activity, students explore...
Lesson Plan
TryEngineering

Try Engineering: Tinkering With Tops

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students learn about the engineering design process as they design, build, and test spinning tops using everyday materials. The objective of the design is to have the top spin at least 10 seconds within a thirty centimeter diameter.