Beware the falling fruit. Scholars design and build parachutes that can help protect fruit as it falls. They test out their creations, learning about gravity, weight, air resistance, and measurement concepts along the way.

Why are gym walls padded and cars required to have air bags? Scholars observe two similar situations, such as those listed above, with only one variable altered. They identify the different variable and determine how the variation...

Students investigate the concepts of hurricanes and violent weather conditions. In this violent weather instructional activity, students access an Internet site and watch a video about how air masses behave, how a tornado forms, how...

How does an airboat move when there isn't a motor in the water? The simulation teaches the forces related to the thrust and drag on an airboat. Scholars vary the boat mass and thrust force in order to view graphs of the changing force...

In this density learning exercise, students read about density, volume and mass. They then use what they learned to answer the 8 questions on the page. The answers are on the last page.

Students discover how air pressure effects flight.  In this physics lesson, students create two types of airplane wings so they can observe the way air pressure creates lift.  Students utilize a printout to create the airplane...

Sixth graders compare and contrast mass and weight. In this physics lesson, 6th graders calculate speed given distance and time information. They construct a rocket and relate this to Newton's 3rd Law of motion.

Students explore the water cycle and associated phase changes. They predict what happens to the mass of an ice cube in a Ziploc bag, discuss and act out phase changes and diagram the water cycle.

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...

Tornadoes and hurricanes and blizzards, oh my! Severe storms are always occurring somewhere on the planet. By reading through these slides, learners discover the characteristics of each type. Have them do this as homework and then take...

In this weight worksheet, students read about weight, friction, and equilibrium. Students then complete 10 matching, 7 fill in the blank, and 8 word problems.

In this Newton's challenge instructional activity, learners demonstrate their understanding of Newton's laws by performing several mini labs. Students answer questions that ask to describe the movement of each demonstration using...

In this atom worksheet, students read about Dalton's contributions to the structure of the atom. They answer five questions about Dalton's ideas, the law of multiple proportions and the law of definite proportions.

Students discuss the differences in the types of garbage. They use these differences to separate a sample of garbage. Partners then investigate the characteristics of landfills by searching on the Internet and by creating your own...

What happens when two worlds collide? In the first of several activities, future physicists experiment with colliding ball bearings or Newton's cradle. Another activity requires the use of an air track with cars to examine collision....

It is always a rush to drop objects from great heights, and with this physics experiment, class members will not be disappointed! They drop a single coffee filter from a balcony or table top, record the time it takes to reach the ground,...

Test the limits of gravity while encouraging full class participation with this thrilling lesson. Pupils investigate the meaning of work and how it is equivalent to energy. They explore the joule and apply it as a unit of work. They...

Who knew F=MA could determine the force of a free-falling elevator? Give your class this set of thirteen word problems for practice determining force, mass, and acceleration of everyday objects. One question introduces an object in...

Young scientists learn that seeing isn't necessarily believing when it comes to the states of matter. After performing a fun class demonstration that models the difference between solids, liquids, and gases, children complete a series of...

Where does the pop in pop rocks come from? An engaging activity asks scholars to measure the amount of carbon dioxide in a package of Pop Rocks candy. Learners dissolve the candy in water and use the solubility of CO2 to determine its mass.

Begin with an introduction to famous deep-sea submersibles. Learners work in groups to gather information on different vessels and then share with the class. Each group then uses water displacement to help calculate the density of...

Here are the instructions for leading your advanced chemists though the process of measuring the nonvolatile components in a sample of paint. No student handout is provided, so you may want to create one based on the procedure explained....

Whether or not Galileo actually dropped balls from the Leaning Tower of Pisa, this demonstration will solidly demonstrate that objects are accelerated at the same rate, regardless of mass. You will, however, need a vacuum pump and a few...

A review of a full unit on energy and matter, this slide show starts with basic definitions of states of matter and their mass. It then develops the ideas of the forces that that matter can exert. Details about bonding within matter and...