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Forces
For this forces worksheet, students read about force and acceleration. They complete a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast balanced and unbalanced forces, they answer questions about a diagram of a tug-a-war and the forces acting on...
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Forces and Cannons
Students create an Alka-Seltzer cannon in this lesson plan. 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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Crash Test Dummies
Fifth graders are introduced to Newton's First Law of Motion. In groups, they describe the differences between balanced and unbalanced forces. They participate in experiments that demonstrate how equal and opposite forces act upon...
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Physics: Forces and Motion
Students recognize the effect of Earth's gravity on an object's weight. In this force and motion lesson students understand the role of gravity when you drop an object. Students experiment with small items. Students measure in Newton's....
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Thunderbirds: Forces
Students investigate the concepts of thrust and how rockets are launched into the air. They watch a clip of the television show Thunderbirds, and draw a basic diagram of the Thunderbird ships, labeling it with arrows to identify the...
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Pushy Kids in Physics
Students examine the concepts of balanced forces, unbalanced forces, and resulting net forces. They participate in a force and motion demonstration by pushing students in various directions, and calculating and identifying the resulting...
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Forces and Energy Study Guide
Sixth graders use prior knowledge to create a tri-fold study guide using Microsoft Publisher (if available). They include real world examples that show balanced and unbalanced forces, kinetic and potential energy, and vocabulary. The...
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Newton's Laws
Eighth graders distinguish between and apply Newton's Laws. They take a quiz reviewing Kinetic and Potential Energy. Students explain that they have just demonstrated Newton's three laws of motion. They also explain what forces are...
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Cruising Aircraft and Balanced Forces
Students, after reading an explanation from a NASA Web-based textbook, demonstrate an understanding of the text by applying it to questions involving cruising aircraft and balanced forces.
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Walking on Water
Students use this problem to help them to relate to force vectors: Suspend a meterstick horizontally between two tables. Place a 1kg mass in the middle of the meterstick. Notice the bend of the meterstick. Explain why the meterstick...
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Toying Around with Newton's Laws
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.
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Freestanding Structures: A Tech Museum Floor Activity
Students attempt to design the tallest structure that they can with the given materials which are wooden dowels and rubber bands. They discuss the physics of their structure and how they would improve it the next time they built a...
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Newton's Three Laws of Motion Lesson Plan
Students explore Newton's three laws of motion using a variety of activities. In this physics lesson, students calculate the average speed of a vehicle they constructed using distance and time information. They identify and draw the...
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Where the Rubber Meets the Road
Eighth graders examine two different types of tires and the effects of different factors on the amount of force needed to overcome sliding friction such as when the vehicle tries to stop.
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Friction
Students review what force. In this science lesson plan, students determine which surfaces are rough and which are smooth by observing how an object moves on each surface.
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Exploring Force and Motion
Students explore the concepts of force and motion by creating a video. In this physics lesson, students are assigned one particular aspect of force and motion to investigate and work in groups to create a video that will be presented to...
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Rocket Science 101
Learners explore the aspects of Newton's First and Third Laws of Motion as they conduct controlled rocketry experiments and analyze the Mars Mission in terms of the principles of rocketry.
Cornell University
Buoyancy
Swimmers know to float by turning their bodies horizontally rather than vertically, but why does that make a difference? In an interesting lesson, scholars explore buoyancy and the properties of air and water. They test cups to see which...
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Avalanche!
Middle schoolers explain that when forces on an object are balanced, the motion of object does not change. They describe how an object changes its motion when forces on it are unbalanced. They plan and conduct a scientific investigation...
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TE Activity: Build Your Own Mobile
Students inquire into how the center of mass is the key factor in designing cars. They construct an oddly shaped object and determine its center of mass. They find that engineers are able to predict how objects will behave while they are...
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Let's Move It!
Students create a simple machine that includes a cart and lever system that could have been used to build the ancient pyramids. In this simple machine lesson plan, students learn about the wheel and the axle as simple machines that help...
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Building Bridges
Students identify the different types of bridges. Using the internet, they research information on how they are built by completing a scavenger hunt. Locating a specific area, they determine which type of bridge would be appropriate and...
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Fast Cars and Roll-Over
Students creat a ramp using cardboard and tape. They follow directions to perform an experiment to determine the degree of tilt needed to cause an empty milk carton to tip over. Students discuss their results in terms of center of gravity.
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Sports and Sir Isaac Newton
Eighth graders choose a sport to observe and capture pictures of Newton's Laws of motion in action within the sport. They import these pictures into Avid Cinema to create a multimedia project to go along with the written report and oral...