Teach Engineering
Android Acceleration
Prepare to accelerate your Android. Pupils prep for the upcoming activity in this third installment of a four-part series. The lesson plan progresses nicely by first introducing different types of acceleration to the class. The teacher...
Cornell University
Alka-Seltzer Rockets
Blast off! An engaging hands-on activity has pupils create rockets powered by Alka-Seltzer. They learn about the physics behind these rockets throughout the process.
Henry Ford Museum
Physics, Technology and Engineering in Automobile Racing
Start your engines! This five-lesson unit introduces physics and Newton's laws through automobile racing. Each lesson includes background information, a student worksheet, and an answer key. There are also culminating...
PHET
The Earth as a Magnet
Everyone loves playing with magnets and iron filings. Here, young scientists first observe and then participate in an activity demonstrating magnetic fields. After completing their observations, they apply this knowledge...
Teach Engineering
Exploring Acceleration with an Android
Small groups use rubber bands to accelerate an Android device along a track of books. They collect the acceleration data and analyze it in order to determine the device's velocity.
Columbus City Schools
It’s Electric!
Shocking! Who knew so many great ideas existed for teaching middle schoolers about electricity? Find them all within this energetic framework. You'll light up at the variety of printable and web-based resources within! After building...
Colorado State University
Why Do Raindrops Sometimes Land Gently and Sometimes with a Splat?
A mouse can fall from large heights without injury! Air resistance is a large influence on small falling objects. In an exploratory lesson, young scholars build a raindrop bottle to compare the falling rate of different-sized objects.
Teach Engineering
Making Moon Craters
Create an egg-citing study of energy. Pupils investigate the effect of height and mass on the overall amount of energy of a falling object. The fourth segment in a six-part series on energy uses a weighted egg falling from different...
Curated OER
Avalanche!
Students explain that when forces on an object are balanced, the motion of object does not change. They describe how an object changes its motion when forces on it are unbalanced. They plan and conduct a scientific investigation to test...
Curated OER
Easy Does It
Students discover how inclined planes make work easier as they make mathematical predictions and prove their predictions through experiments.
Curated OER
Bungee Man Lab
Students explore the motion of a toy bungee jumper using the scientific method. They view a video of a bungee jumper and discuss what can be measured about a bungee jump. Students discuss the scientific mehtod and how to design an...
Curated OER
Gravity Launch
Students examine how gravity affects launching rockets into space. In this physical science instructional activity, students review the concept of gravity and use an interactive online site, "Gravity Launch," to simulate a rocket launch.
Curated OER
Balloon Rockets
Students, after reviewing and analyzing Newton's third law of motion, make balloon rockets and experiment with a variety of models. After the experiment, they chart the results and form conclusions. In addition, they compare/contrast...
Curated OER
Mr. and Miss Big Feet
Third graders experiment with gravitational force. In this physical science lesson, 3rd graders send matchbox cars off a ramp while changing the amount of weight attached to the car. Students record their data and discuss the results.
Curated OER
Introduction to Friction
Students study the properties of the frictional force between two surfaces in contact. They inspect various phenomena in nature where friction plays an important role and demonstrate
Curated OER
Gravity
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.
Curated OER
Incline Planes
Students determine the forces necessary to move a truck on an inclined plane with weight and slope as variables. They identify the cheapest way to transport trash to local garbage disposal sites.
Curated OER
Simple Machines V - Wheels and Axles and Gears
Fourth graders investigate the principles and uses of gears, and examine how gears can be used to alter the direction of motion or the speed of an object. They observe two cars with different sized wheels roll down an inclined plane,...
Curated OER
Newton's Laws
Students state Newton's Laws of Motion. They explain how force, mass and acceleration are related. They analyze action and reaction forces, calculate momentum,
and explain conservation of momentum
Curated OER
Newton's Laws: Making Simple Rockets
Students can use rocketry to understand Newton's Three Laws of Motion.
Curated OER
Magnetorheological Fluids
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...
Curated OER
Farming in the 1930's
Students research and conduct experiments with several types of simple machines. They examine levers, pulleys, inclined planes, wheels, axles, wedges and screws and then consider the physics behind "Green Eggs and Ham".
Curated OER
A Matter of State
Students conduct science experiments to understand that particle movement changes as a substance changes from one phase to another phase. Students record observations of experiments that involve the three states of matter: solid,...
Curated OER
Galileo: His Times & Beliefs
Learners study Galileo and his scientific discoveries. They complete a series of experiments/model constructions, using 17th century equipment and procedures, to "recreate," demonstrate and explore the various discoveries of Galileo.