Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Friction Flyers

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Young scholars explore the principles of magnetism and friction. They complete an interactive puzzle on the Gizmos and Gadgets computer software, construct a vehicle, build and modify ramps and vehicles to produce various outcomes, and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Gravity

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students perform inquiry in response to the question "Do objects fall at the same rate?", teacher candidates discuss a model experiment for secondary students to discover the answer, including recording and analyzing data.
Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

Energy and Work Amusement Park Style

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students distinguish between kinetic and potential energy. They recognize that energy can change from one form to other forms. They identify and describe several forms of energy.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Surface Friction and Wear Characteristics of Common Materials

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students identify the factors affecting friction. In this physics lesson, students construct their own rocket car and race them. They graph the average speeds and discuss how lubricants affect friction between rubbing surfaces.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

3RC (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Compost)

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners examine the effects of packaging decisions and the engineering advancements in packaging materials and waste management. They observe biodegradation in a model landfill.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Catapult Creations

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders design and build a catapult. In this lever lesson, 3rd graders collect a variety of lever type objects. Students build a catapult and launch marshmallows or crumpled paper and see who can hit the designated target.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Boomerangs Keep Coming Back

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students investigate the flight of paper boomerangs. In this flight lesson, students examine the flight variables of paper boomerangs, which they make, by investigating the concepts of lift and drag. They examine what happens when an...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rising Water!

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students observe water change from a liquid to a gas state when heated and then return to its liquid stage when cooled. They learn that gas molecules move faster than liquid molecules. They discover physical properties that describe how...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Energy for You

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students investigate the energy sources used in student's communities. They explore where the energy comes from, how it is transported, and the uses to which it is put. They review the meanings of vocabulary renewable and newable resources.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Magnetorheological Fluids

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Young scholars conduct a series of experiments on magnetorheological fluids. In this physics instructional activity, students explain how these fluids behave in varying magnetic field strength. They give practical applications of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Clouds

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students explore clouds.  In this weather lesson, students identify the steps in the water cycle, define condensation and evaporation, and relate this information to cloud formation.  Students perform a cloud experiment,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Solar System: Go Green with the Sun!

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders learn how to use solar power.  In this sun, technology and energy instructional activity, 3rd graders learn how the solar power from the sun can give off energy, learn about solar panels, discuss their uses and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Kure Waste Chase Game Lesson

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Students work together to identify marine debris. They explain the effect of the debris on various ecosystems. They draw different types of ocean currents as well.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Characteristics of Energy

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders view a video and create a KWL to identify energy sources. In this energy sources lesson, 4th graders explore the meaning of energy, kinetic energy, potential energy, thermal energy, radiant energy, and electrical energy....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

THE BUSINESS OF CLEAN AIR

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students determine that air pollution control is caused by a combination of market incentives and government regulation. They realize that businesses exist to make profits for their owners and that governments make rules for individuals...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Principles of Flight: Bernoulli's Lift

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students discover how air pressure effects flight.  In this physics activity, students create two types of airplane wings so they can observe the way air pressure creates lift.  Students utilize a printout to create the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bottle Rocket

For Teachers 4th - 9th
Students construct and launch a simple bottle rocket. Working in teams, they construct a simple bottle rocket from 2-liter soft drink bottles and other materials.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sports Science

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students explore athletes and how they perform. In this physics lesson, students investigate how physics is involved in sports. Students go online to interactive sites that explain physics and biomechanics. Students also research...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Galapagos Spreading Center

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the basic concept of seafloor spreading. They describe the processes involved in creating new seafloor at a mid-ocean ridge. They investigate the Galapagos Spreading Center system.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rocket Science

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students conduct an experiment. In this physical science instructional activity, students learn about Isaac Newton's theory that for every action there is an equal but opposite reaction. Students show this theory by looking at how a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Aerodynamics And Me

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders design, construct, refine, and test cars that they build on the computer screen. They find the density of several objects using the techniques used to find volume. They measure various common objects to become more...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Proportionality: Modeling the Future

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students explore and examine how patterns, measurement, ratios and proportions are utilized in the research development and production of airplanes. They meet a pilot from the Federal Aviation Association who describes the growth of air...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earthquake Patterns

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students identify and interpret the cyclical nature of the Parkfield, California earthquakes. They then investigate and graph earthquake occurrences on the Mojave segment of the San Andreas fault and then on the Hayward fault in order to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Let's Take a Rock Apart!

For Teachers K - 12th
Students examine a crushed rock and sort the minerals they find in that rock by color and other properties.