+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Freestanding Structures: A Tech Museum Floor Activity

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
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...
+
Lesson Plan
Teach Engineering

Doing the Math: Analysis of Forces in a Truss Bridge

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
Join together to investigate truss joints. Scholars learn how to analyze forces at truss joints to determine the strength of truss bridges. They apply the "method of joints" in calculating the tension and compression forces at each joint...
+
Activity
Museum of Science

Stomp Rocket

For Teachers K - 6th
It doesn't take rocket science to launch a rocket. A fun activity has pupils build a rocket that launches when they stomp on a plastic bottle. They learn how the escaping compressed gas from the bottle causes the rocket to fly.
+
Instructional Video1:12
PBS

Longitudinal Waves | UNC-TV Science

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Discover whether sound travels in space and other fascinating science facts. Scientists explore energy transfer by longitudinal waves and learn about compression, rarefaction, amplitude, and wavelength while watching an animated video....
+
Lab Resource
Colorado State University

Why Does the Wind Blow?

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Without wind, the weather man wouldn't have much to talk about! Blow away your junior meteorologists with a creative demonstration of how wind works. The activity uses an empty soda bottle and compressible Styrofoam peanuts to illustrate...
+
Interactive
Magic of Physics

Materials Lab

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Why is wood good for building houses, but not the best choice for high-rise apartments? Future materials scientists put building materials to the test using a hands-on interactive. Pupils pull and push on substances such as reinforced...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Purdue University

Take a Stand!

For Teachers 5th Standards
Not all will still be standing by the end! Challenge classes to use engineering principles to design display cases with specific constraints. A hands-on STEM lesson reviews the concepts of tension, compression, and torque before...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Teach Engineering

Fairly Fundamental Facts About Forces and Structures

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Don't twist and turn looking for a resource. The first installment of a six-part series teaches young engineers about the five fundamental forces of compression, tension, shear, bending, and torsion. These forces help explain different...
+
Lesson Plan
Teach Engineering

Designing Bridges

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Introduces your class to the types of loads experienced by a bridge. Groups calculate the ultimate load combinations to determine the maximum load requirement. Using this information, builders then determine the amount of material they...
+
Worksheet
Curated OER

Unit VIII: Worksheet 2 - Centripetal Force

For Students 9th - 12th
Circular motion can make you loopy! On this physics worksheet, learners practice solving problems regarding centripetal force, rotational period, speed, acceleration, and more. A flying aerobat and a couple of amusement park rides make...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Activity: Leaning Tower of Pasta

For Teachers 6th - 8th
A well-laid-out lesson plan, this can be used in an engineering, STEM, or physical science course. Laboratory groups design a structure using pasta and marshmallows, measure its height and weight, and then discover the load that it can...
+
Worksheet
Curated OER

Mathematics of Image Processing Project

For Students 11th - Higher Ed
For this image processing worksheet, students complete 4 steps related to image processing. First, they work in teams of 2-3 and create a hard copy report and documented m-files. Then, students try compression at various quality levels...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Squeeze is On

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers investigate the force of compression and how it acts on structural components through a hands-on group project. They use everyday products such as paper, toothpicks, and tape to construct a structure that will support...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Suspension Bridges

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Pupils view examples of suspension bridges and discuss their structure. They complete a tension and compression experiment with a partner then perform a similar experiment with books. They discuss engineers and how they design and solve...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Profess the Compress

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students determine the ground clearance of CEENBoTs by adding weights. In this physics lesson, students explore the compression and extension of different springs. They cite real world applications of Hooke's Law.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Leaning Tower of Pasta

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students experiment with different structures to determine which ones are able to handle the greatest amount of load using spaghetti and marshmallows. They discuss how engineers design buildings, construct their buildings and complete a...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Be a Structural Engineer!

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students investigate how to design and build items with a focus on structural strength as an engineer would. They complete a truss-building project as a final assessment.
+
Fill-in-the-blank

Structures with Bill Nye

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Shared Resource Introduce structures (tension and compression) to your students with the much-loved Bill Nye videos. Watch this 20 minute video while filling out this cloze activity. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2iPj4Cjajk)(ESL)
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Big Squeeze

For Teachers K - 5th
Students observe what happens as crayon shavings are melted and/or pressed together. They compare this to the process some rocks go through as they are heated and compressed naturally on earth.
+
Interactive
PHET

Hooke's Law

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Everything from pens to cars use springs — some are just on a larger scale! An interactive simulation encourages pupils to stretch and compress springs while observing the changes to force, displacement, and potential energy. Then they...
+
Interactive
Texas Education Agency (TEA)

How to Read and Analyze a Poem (English III Reading)

For Students 11th Standards
A poem is compressed speech, like a can of frozen juice with all the water pressed out. An interactive teaches users how to reconstitute the language, the structure, and the literary devices to appreciate all the subtleties the poet...
+
Lesson Plan
Messenger Education

Can You Hear Me Now?—Communicating with Spacecraft

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Radio signals transmitted to Pluto take five hours to reach their destination! In these two activities, young scientists explore data communication in space. In activity one, pupils learn how data is gathered and sent back to Earth....
+
Lesson Plan
Science Matters

Fault Formations

For Teachers 6th Standards
The San Andreas Fault moves about two inches a year, approximately the same rate fingernails grow—crazy! The third lesson in the series allows for hands-on exploration of various fault formations. Through the use of a Popsicle stick,...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Forces and Balloons

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners investigate the forces of compression, tension and torque on common birthday balloons.

Other popular searches