Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wind Tunnels

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Students build a simple wind tunnel and test out 2 glider wing shapes at different angles of attack. They record results and their observations just as engineers do.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Do The Colors of Light Mix?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate the mixing of light. They form a hypotheses to reason why color changes occur and they write conclusions and ask new questions arising from the investigation. Students identify the primary and complementary colors of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What is Sound? How Can We Change Sound?

For Teachers 4th - 7th
In this lesson, learners investigate the phenomenon of sound! Students compare and contrast how sound travels through solids, liquids, and gases. They explain how length and thickness affect sound. Learners know the difference between...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fling It

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students investigate the best design using technology. In this science lesson, students construct a freestanding object with specific materials to be able to shoot a ping pong ball and a marshmallow. They have to adjust and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Kinetic Theory

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students describe how molecules of the different phases of matter move according to the Kinetic Theory. In this chemistry instructional activity, students observe and participate in teacher demos. They give real world applications of the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Spuds in Space

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students 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.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Phases of Matter

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students are introduced to the basic states of matter: solids, liquids and gases. Through experimentation, students determine that liquids and solids have definite volume, that gases do not have definite volume, and that solids have a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dark Matter In The Universe

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students investigate the concept of dark matter and how it occurs in the universe. They conduct research using a variety of resources. Students use the information by reading at least two articles about dark matter. They also generate...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Principles of Flight: Flying Paper Airplanes

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Young scholars investigate ways to enhance an object's flying ability.  In this model construction lesson, students construct two paper airplanes, one of which is twice as big as the first.  Young scholars compare and contrast...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Antacid Tablet Race

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students complete experiments to determine how rocket fuel is affected by surface area and temperature. They compare the reaction rates of antacid tablets. They discuss their results to complete the lesson.
Lesson Plan
Teach Engineering

Changing Fields

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Eddy currents, Faraday's Law and Lenz's Law provide the connection between train brakes and and MRI machines in a instructional activity that asks teachers to provided the material needed so the pupils can understand the properties of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring Ecosystems

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students examine the relationships between plants, animals, and the environment in ecosystems. They sort animal cards, collect natural materials from the schoolyard, and record an ecosystem web in the form of a poster.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Newtonian Mechanics

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Pupils 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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mass, Volume, and Weight

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students explore mass, volume, and weight. In this science and measurement lesson, students compare volume, mass, and weight after listening to the teacher's description of each. Students explore different scales and balances and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tubularastic Roller Coaster

For Teachers 3rd
Students observe the effect of gravity on objects. They use tubing and other materials to simulate a roller caster. Afterward, they create a journal to write their observations and summaries.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Leaving on A Jet Plane

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students create an airplane by listening to directions. They also to measure the pieces for the airplane and compare and contrast their test flights.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Relationship between Potential and Kinetic Energy

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders explore the relationship between potential energy and kinetic energy.  In this energy lesson, 5th graders examine objects and describe  potential and kinetic energy of the objects. Students complete two worksheets.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Electricity and Magnets

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders find examples of magnets in or around their homes and make a list. They discover that some motors use magnets and make a simple motor using magnets, a battery and copper wire. They add to their magnet list.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Friction Flyers

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Learners 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
High schoolers 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
Young scholars 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.