STEM for Teachers
Temperature and Bounce
Take part in a fun experiment and hold an impromptu bouncing contest with your class. Young scientists heat and cool balls before bouncing them to determine whether temperature changes affect how they bounce. The set of STEM lesson plans...
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Ball Bounce Experiment
Students investigate different balls' abilities to bounce. They conduct a Ball Bounce Height Comparison and Ball Bounce Time Comparison, complete a worksheet, graph the results of their experiment, and answer investigating questions.
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Baseball Activity: Bouncing Balls
Students explore the concept of motion. In this hands-on physics instructional activity, students examine how the construction of baseballs and the temperature they are stored at affect their bounce.
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Bounce Back Ball
Fifth graders work in teams of four to measure the rebound heights of a tennis ball dropped from four different heights. They investigate with the bouncing balls to measure changes in the type of energy they possess.
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Super-Ball Physics
Learners experiment with varied balls to determine the bounce factor in centimeters. In this physics lesson, students experiment to find the height a ball must be dropped from the have the highest bounce rate. Learners graph the results...
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Make a Bouncy Custard Ball
In this science experiment worksheet, students mix borax, custard powder (pudding mix?), glue and water to make a bouncy ball. Students carry out bouncing and stretching investigations.
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Bouncing off the Walls
Third graders compare the bouncing height of different types of balls. For this science lesson, 3rd graders explain the importance of repeated experimentation in science. They record their result and share them with the class.
University of Tennessee
Potential Energy
Did you know a tennis ball has potential? Collaborative groups analyze the potential energy of a tennis ball based on its height. They measure its starting height and the height after its first bounce. Using a graphical analysis, they...
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Sports and Science
Using footballs, basketballs, tennis balls, and more, learners conduct experiments to illustrate Newton's Laws of Motion. The experiments are conducted outside, and require them to throw, kick, and hit a variety of balls. Your class...
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Bouncing Balls
Students explore the concept of gravity. In this gravity lesson, students drop super balls from varying heights. Students record the height of the super ball on bounce zero and bounce one.
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Superball Physics
Eighth graders bounce superballs and measure to see if they can hit the same spot over and over. In this superball lesson plan, 8th graders calculate the weight of the ball with the force of the throw to try and hit the same spot with...
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Bouncing Superball Physics
Ninth graders experiment with bouncing balls to investigate the elasticity coefficient of different sizes and types of balls. In this superball physics lesson, 9th graders bounce various types of balls from differing heights. They...
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Balloon Ball Bounce
Learners explore the rebound of balls. In this energy conversion lesson, students explore the physics behind the rebound of various types of sports balls. Through the experimental design process using balloons, learners investigate and...
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Where Will It Go?
Students attempt to determine where a ball will travel when it is bounced. They set up an experiment in which they predict the line a ball will follow when it hits an object and bounces off. They draw the line that predicts where the...
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May the Force be with You -- All about Force and Gravity
Here is a fabulous set of teacher's notes that will make your next hands-on gravity and force lab fun and interesting. These notes provide you with three activities that allow children to make and test hypothesis regarding force,...
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The Bending and Bouncing of Light
Students investigate refraction and reflection of light. In this light lesson, students perform 3 activities to observe light interacting with matter by using a flashlight. They explore refraction using a glass of water and reflection...
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Where Will It Go?
Young scholars predict the path of a ball bouncing off an object. In this physics lesson, students conduct the rolling ball experiment to test their prediction. They perform several trials for accuracy.
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Bouncing Balls
Students make observations of a bouncing ball and study how it travels. In this height lesson students complete a lab activity and describe and explain the motion of the ball.
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Nature of Game Balls
Fourth graders see how, when balls are dropped from the same height, mass and size affects the motion of the balls.
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Bouncing Basketballs
Students discover how the coefficient of restitution is applied to sports by measuring the bounciness of a ball. After examining the mathematical equation that applies to coefficient of restitution, students go to the gym, measure the...
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Wax On, Wane Off
Students investigate the cycles of the moon through an in class experiment. In this lunar lesson, students utilize a tennis ball and their own head to simulate the moon and Earth and create moon phases by observing the tennis ball from...
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Coefficient of Restitution
Students investigate variables that influence the bouncing of balls. In this exploratory lesson students observe how the manipulated and control variable are correlated by graphing the data.
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Physical Science: Gravity
Students investigate the properties of force and gravity and their effects on everyday life. In groups, they test various balls by bouncing them on different surfaces and observe the properties. In another activity, they test marbles and...
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Motion Capture and Analysis
Students capture the serve motion of a tennis player with a digital or video camera. Using transparencies or a software package, analyze the speed, acceleration, displacement and time of the racquet head and ball in the tennis stroke.