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Water Pressure Blaster
Third graders complete an experiment to introduce them to the concept of water pressure. For this water pressure lesson plan, 3rd graders create pressure in a water bottle and observe the force of water that is created.
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Newton's 2nd Law
Fourth graders explore Newton's second law of motion, testing and identifying the characteristics of objects that makes them easier or harder to push. They identify what types of objects are the hardest to move, then test a variety of...
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Foucault's Pendulum
High schoolers investigate how the motion of the Foucault pendulum proves that the Earth is rotating. They research the Internet about pendulums and conduct an experiment online. They view a multimedia presentation about pendulums and...
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Newton's Ist Law
Fourth graders explore Newton's First Law of Motion. They conduct an experiment to observe what happens to a ball that is placed carefully on slippery ice. They also observe what happens to a dowel on the ice, then draw and label...
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Acceleration 2
In this acceleration instructional activity, students experiment with varying amounts of mass to observe the effects on the force needed to move an object. Students apply Newton's Second Law of Motion to describe the relationship between...
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Newton Gets Me Moving
Learners discuss Newton's laws of motion. The conduct motion experiments by building "Newton Rocket Cars" from assorted materials. They propel the cars with rubber bands and wooden blocks and record the distance traveled on data sheets.
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Rockets!!
Students launch a rocket. In this laws of motion lesson, students discuss the forces of flight, how a plane flies and how a rocket gets off the ground. Students watch a video about rocket launches, discuss Newton's Third Law...
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Let's Get Moving
Students participate in sports activities that relate to motion, velocity and momentum. They produce a PowerPoint presentation after researching the activities.
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Simple Machines
Students explain how simple machines work and design their own machine. They use the Internet for research.
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Going the Distance
Learners experiment in small groups to answer the question, "Is there a relationship between ramps and speed?" They apply a formula to calculate the speed of the cars used in the experiment, complete the associate lab report, and...
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Junkyard Wars: Wild Watercraft
Students develop a fast travelling hull for a boat. In this physical science lesson plan, the students' hulls will be tested in a channel (built by the teacher) with a fan as the driving force. The students will compete for who has the...
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Junkyard Wars-Investigating More Electromagnets
Fourth graders conduct an investigation in order to determine a way to change the strength of an electromagnet's magnetic force. After conducting "control" lifts with their electromagnet, groups make initial changes, record data, and...
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Sounds Like Science-Kazoo
Learners demonstrate how energy is used to make a sound. In this sound lesson, students construct a kazoo from a comb and identify how a sound is made by using force.
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Crash! Bang!
Young scholars study the physical force of linear momentum by investigating collisions. They analyze the difference between elastic and inelastic collisions. They calculate linear momentum.
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The Basics: Physical Science
Young scholars view a video on friction and examine how friction and gravity affect some sports. For this investigative lesson students write a paragraph and draw a picture that illustrates how friction and gravity affect sports.
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Push or Pull
Young scholars discover that one way to change how something is moving is to give it a push or a pull. They design their own boats and work with 'The Great Boat Push' worksheet to compare how their boats move when they are pushed or...
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Let's Do the Wave!
Students distinguish waves from matter, differentiate between transverse and longitudinal waves, use sine curves as representations of transverse waves, label characteristic properties of waves, diagram transverse waves having specific...
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Newton Must have Been a Sports Fan
Students examine Newton's Laws. In this law of motion lesson, students observe Newton's three laws of physics demonstrated by the teacher. They apply other examples to Newton's first law of inertia.
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Principles of Physics: A Real Scream!
Students apply their knowledge of the physics principles of force, energy and motion to researching the physics behind amusement park rides.
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Demonstrating the Kinds of Energy
Students experiment with inner tubes, weights, flasks, and pistons to demonstrate the gas laws. In this molecular motion lesson, students demonstrate pressure as a force per area. They conduct an experiment to show the relationship...
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Shipwreck Alley
High schoolers examine the different types of vessels used in commercial shipping. In this commercial shipping lesson students apply force and motion to problems of marine safety.
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Blow and Go
Students discover how air can move things by using their breath. In this physics lesson, students hypothesize then attempt to move a pencil 1 meter using nothing but their breath. Students record data from their experiment including...
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The Physics of Skateboarding
Students are able to analyze gravity as an universal force. They are able to determine how the force of friction retards motion. Students are able to apply Newton's Laws of Motion ot the way the world works.
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Science: Motion Commotion
Students examine Newton's three laws of motion to discover what causes it and how it changes. They conduct motion experiments by building catapults and constructing balloon rockets. Finally, they conduct peer studies correlating...