Purdue University
Slow Boat Design
Don't be a drag. Learners work in groups to design boats that move slowly. The provided reason for the activity is that a fish caught on a fishing reel is pulling the boat, causing it to move too fast. The STEM activity teaches the class...
Curated OER
Falling
Students should describe the path that the motion would take as well as what might begin or stop the motion. The common characteristic of all the motions that students have experienced directly is that one or more forces are acting on...
Curated OER
Lab for Truss Design and Testing
Students design and build their own truss. In this physics lesson, students calculate the forces and maximum load. They complete a full scale diagram of their design.
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Friction and Inertia
Students study friction and inertia, make predictions, and compare data. In this investigative lesson students view a demonstration on friction, divide into groups, and complete an activity.
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The Pork With Torque
Learners determine the torque of CEENBoTs wheel hub. In this physics lesson, students reinforce their learning by exploring interactive websites on torque. They give real life applications of torque.
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Investigation 4 - Collision Zone
Third graders study how forces of push and pull can change speed or direction.
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Vectors: Follow That Arrow
Vectors and their connection to motion. A video will be presented to provide information for the class to use methods of solving vectors with and without grids. Real-world physical concepts will be explored in reference to vectors.
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Konnecting Simple Machines and K'Nex
Students study and identify different types of simple machines and how they work. They design a simple machine.
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What is a Wheel and Axle?
Stuents explore wheels and axles and how they maka machine move. After a teacher demonstration, students construct a wheel and axle. Students explore the circumference of the wheel. They compare the wheel sizes, speed, distance, and load...
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Puttin' It All Together
Learners explain the concepts of kinetic and potential energy and how it can change forms. In this energy, motion, and frictional forces lesson students participate in a hands on activity that includes calculating energy.
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Forces of Nature: The Challenges of River Travel
Learners examine how river travel affected the Lewis and Clark expedition. They define gravity, slope, and velocity, conduct a river formations experiment, complete an activity sheet, and watch a video about Lewis and Clark.
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Simple Machines: Levers
Students discover the fundamentals and daily applications of simple machines. They practice basic engineering theory through their hands-on demonstrations of levers.
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Temperature Changes Everything
Pupils determine the effect of temperature on the motion of particles. They study the difference between particles in a gas, liquid, and a solid and see how the characteristics of solids, liquids, and gases can be explained by particle...
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Hot Air Balloon Design Lesson Plan
Sixth graders discuss what they know and what they want to know about hot air balloon using a KWL chart. They then use a wide array of materials to design a hot air balloon that will lift successfully in cooperative groups referring to...
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Robot Gears
Young scholars build simple gear trains and record data to discover how to compute gear ratios. They investigate the definition of torque and how torque can be increased or decreased in a gear train.
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Physics of Roller Coasters
Young scholars study the physics used to design today's roller coasters. In this engineering lesson students complete several activities including designing their own roller coaster.
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Secondary Robot
Students identify the forces acting on a stationary/constant velocity robot. For this physics lesson, students draw a free body diagrams of the forces. They explain the difference between zero acceleration and zero net force.
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Numerical Determination of Drag Coefficients
Learners create a video of an object falling with a drag. In this physics instructional activity, students calculate drag coefficient using data from Logger Pro. They calculate velocity and acceleration of the object.
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Vectors
Students describe motion by the use of adding vectors. They identify the difference between the x and y components of vector quantities. Students are given the Paper Bridge Building handout and the instructions as to where to perform...
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Moving Along
Young scholars are introduced to the concept of motion. In groups, they practice calculating the rate, time, and distance of various objects on a variety of surfaces. To end the lesson, they apply the same principles to those objects...
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Gravitational Factors
Students identify the forces that affect the weight of an object. In groups, they determine the proper math model which can demonstrate the attraction between two objects based on gravity. They discuss the relationship between the weight...
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Action-Reaction! Rocket
Students construct a rocket from a balloon propelled along a guide string. They use this model to learn about Newton's three laws of motion, examining the effect of different forces on the motion of the rocket. They measure the distance...
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Sports and Science
Using footballs, basketballs, tennis balls, and more, learners conduct experiments to illustrate Newton's Laws of Motion. The experiments are conducted outside, and require them to throw, kick, and hit a variety of balls. Your...
PHET
Earth’s Magnetic Field from Space
Feel the pull of science! The final installment of this 18-part series is an application of everything learned in the previous high school lessons. Scholars are given a magnetic field map and must propose an arrangement of magnets that...