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Simple Machines make work easier.
Young scholars examine how simple machine work can make work easier. In this machines instructional activity students complete an activity that shows them what makes up a machine, and how to measure displacement and velocity.
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Falling
Students should describe the path that the motion would take as well as what might begin or stop the motion. The common characteristic of all the motions that students have experienced directly is that one or more forces are acting on...
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Newton's Third Law
Learners use inquiry and observation to explore Newton's third law of motion: for every action there is a reaction. In this physics lesson, students rotate through six stations set up with materials and picture directions illustrating an...
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It's All in the Wrist
Learners conduct experiments with balloons, pennies, marbles and cups to help them understand the concept of centrifugal force or Newton's Law of Motion.
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The Case of the Crooked Cartoon: Newton's Laws Set the Standard
Students have the opportunity to use higher-level thinking skills and to apply their talents to previously learned material. It provides an opportunity for visual, auditory, and tactile/kinetic learners to utilize their particular...
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Toys and Forces
Third graders discuss the collection of toys and demonstrate to the class how a given toy moves. They discuss the part of this toy that could be broken or missing to cause the toy not to work. Which parts could be broken and the toy...
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Marvelous Magnets
Students identify and classify magnetic and nonmagnetic materials and metals. After determining which materials and metals are magnetic, students create a data table and classify items by two different criteria. Students e-mail various...
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VECTORS
Ninth graders explore vectors. In this vectors lesson students complete a lab activity.
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Fundamental Terms
Students explore Newton's Laws of Motion and how they apply to flight.
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Swinging on a String
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.
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Up, Up and Away with the Montgolfier Balloon
Students construct hot air balloons. In this science lesson, students assemble their own balloon using tissue paper and glue. They time the duration of the flight, record data and calculate team averages.
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Shake, Rattle and Erupt
Students study myths regarding four earthquakes myths. They receive a list of supplies each family should have at home to prepare for an earthquake and construct an "Earthquake Preparation" poster showing some of the most important items...
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How Does a Satellite Stay in Orbit?
Young scholars explore placing a satellite into orbit, then about forces needed to keep an object in orbit. They examine how satellites orbit in elliptical paths and about properties of ellipses. They learn Kepler's 3rd Law of Planetary...
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What To Do After The Hands-Are-On
Learners perform various demonstrations for each of Newton's Laws, collect data, and write a conclusion for each.
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Characteristics of Energy
Students explore Earth science by completing energy worksheets in class. In this energy forms lesson, students identify and define a list of energy vocabulary terms and a K-W-L chart. Students view a matter video clip in class and...
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The Science of Weather: Hurricanes
Students use this USA today activity to learn about hurricane season. For this hurricane lesson, students study the map of the earth and hurricane science. Students complete discuss questions. Students draw a map of the United States and...
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Friction This
Middle schoolers investigate road surface and calculate speed. In this algebra lesson plan, students analyze the roughness of a road and calculate distance and speed based on friction. They relate friction and energy to speed.
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Principles of Flight: Gyrocopter and the Scientific Method
Students explore the concept of the scientific method. In this investigative lesson, students investigate which direction the blades will spin on a gyrocopter. Student will practice using the scientific method to complete the investigation.
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Spuds in Space
Young scholars explore the effects of velocity on an object when it collides with another object. They design and outfit a potato astronaut in a spacesuit to withstand the hazards of high velocity impacts from space debris and meteoroids.
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Newtonian Mechanics
Young scholars familiarize themselves, through teacher demonstration, with Gavendish's apparatus first used for experimentally determining the value of the Universal Gravitational Constant G, and calculate theoretical value of Earth's...
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FORCES, MOTION, AND ENERGY
Eighth graders engage in a variety of activities in order to investigate the basic concepts of physics. They read and answer questions in a written text. This is only one type of activity that is part of many others.
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Parachutes And Parafoils
Learners study deceleration devices like parachutes and parafoils.
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Characteristics of Lift and Wing Area
Students use FoilSim to complete the activity and investigate the factors that affect lift and how wing area and lift are related.
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Looking at The Force on a Vehicle
Students build a vehicle following technical drawings. They set up a system to pull the vehicles. Students compare and discuss how the motion of the vehicles changes more or less weight on a string is used to pull them.