Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Exploring Newton's Second Law

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students conduct an experiment that will reinforce their understanding of Newton's Second Law. Using simple objects, students control force, mass, and acceleration, and how each is related to each other.
Activity
Exploratorium

Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Marshmallow Puff Tube

For Students 9th - 10th
An engineering design process project where you will try different lengths of cardboard tubes to see how far you can blow a marshmallow. Project uses Newton's principles of unbalanced force to shoot the marshmallow far.
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Newton's First Law (Inertia)

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
This activity provides students an opportunity to investigate Newton's first law by observing inertia in a variety of experiments. Students will hypothesize on possible outcomes, write observations of what has happened, and apply...
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: How Far?

For Teachers 7th - 9th
To learn how friction affects motion, students explore how different textures provide varying amounts of friction to objects moving across them. They build a tool to measure the amount of friction between a note card and various surfaces...
Unit Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Mechanics Mania

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Through ten lessons and numerous activities, students explore the natural universal rules engineers and physicists use to understand how things move and stay still. Together, these rules are called "mechanics." The study of mechanics is...
Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Flocculants: The First Step to Cleaner Water!

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Learners experience firsthand one of the most common water treatment types in the industry today, flocculants. They learn how the amount of suspended solids in water is measured using the basic properties of matter and light. In...
Activity
PBS

Pbs Teachers: Soda Bottle Boat Experiment

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Use the chemical reaction that occurs when mixing a base (baking soda) with an acid (vinegar) to turn a plastic soda bottle into a jet boat.
Interactive
Concord Consortium

The Concord Consortium: Molecular Workbench: Rolling Down an Inclined Plane

For Students 9th - 10th
Experiment with gravity as a variable to observe the effects of gravity on an object rolling down an inclined surface.
Activity
PBS

Pbs Kids: Zoom Printables & Activities

For Students 3rd - 8th
Fantastic variety of printable activities that cover motion-related principles. Topics include the following: experiments (engineering, structures, forces and energy, fluids, sound and light, patterns, human body); arts & crafts;...
Unit Plan
Texas Education Agency

Texas Gateway: Newton's Universal Law of Gravitation

For Students 11th - 12th
By the end of this section, you will be able to explain Earth's gravitational force, describe the gravitational effect of the Moon on Earth, discuss weightlessness in space, and understand the Cavendish experiment.
Activity
University of Oregon

Uo: Cannon Simulator: Experimental Instructions

For Students 9th - 10th
This virtual experiment is designed to let the student measure the relation between muzzle velocity (which determines projectile energy), gravitational potential and the effects of frictional drag caused by wind speed blowing opposite to...
Lesson Plan
TryEngineering

Try Engineering: Blast Off

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Hands on activity where learners focus on aerospace engineering to investigate space flight from the viewpoint of an engineer. They design, build, and launch their rocket, then share their experiences with the class.
Activity
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Balloon Car

For Students 3rd - 5th
Make 4-wheeled, air-powered cars that jet across the floor. Experiment with the design process and thrust in this activity from Design Squad Nation.
Activity
Exploratorium

Exploratorium: Snacks

For Students 5th - 9th
Exploratorium's snacks aren't edible, but they are good! Use your science skills to discover gravity, learn about biology, do fun experiments.
Activity
PBS

Pbs Teachers:pendulum Challenge

For Students 1st - 5th
Observe the impact of weight on the speed of a pendulum.
Activity
Center of Science and Industry

Cosi Columbus: Boomerang

For Students 3rd - 5th
Students will make and fly boomerangs and discover that their spinning action is what makes them return to the thrower. Includes full list of materials, procedures, and scientific explanation of "gyroscopic precession".
Website
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Sesame Street

For Students Pre-K - K
Do you know how to get to Sesame Street? This collection is designed to engage preschoolers in everyday learning by teaching core skills in Math, Literacy, STEM, and Social and Emotional Development. Here you'll find hundreds of videos,...
Activity
Exploratorium

Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Spinning Cylinder

For Students 9th - 10th
Explore the motion of a cylinder that spins around its axis at the same time as it rotates around a line that is perpendicular to this axis.
Activity
Exploratorium

Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Resonator

For Students 9th - 10th
An experiment in resonance that demonstrates how to synchronize an applied force with an object's natural frequency and amplify the resulting motion.
Activity
University of California

Understanding Science: Newton's 2nd Law: Inquiry Approach Lesson

For Teachers 10th - 12th
For this lesson, students develop their own scientific experiment to test Newton's hypothesis that the acceleration of an object depends on the net force acting upon it and its mass. After completing their designed experiment, students...
Website
Physics Central

American Physical Society: Physics Central: Discover Homepage

For Students 9th - 10th
Link to nine major physics topics and dig deeper into the content. Find out about the work of scientists in each field and see example physical science experiments.
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Using Your Marbles: Making Energy Work for You

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This activity is based on the common experiment of running a marble down a ramp to do work on a cup. Students will be able to see the relationship between mass and energy of the marble and the ramp height.
Interactive
Walter Fendt

Walter Fendt: Apps Zur Physik

For Students 9th - 10th
This site, in German, offers numerous apps that illustrate common physics principles. Apps are organized into categories: mechanics, oscillations and waves, electrodynamics, optics, thermodynamics, the theory of relativity, physics of...
Website
My Science Site

Life Systems: Cells, Tissues, Organs

For Students 9th - 10th
Extensive site for teachers provides some helpful resources that pertain to plant and animal cells. Includes a microscope diagram as well as plant, animal and pond labs. Also contains links to structures and mechanisms, matter and...