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People and Space
Students eat dehydrated foods that the astronauts would eat in space. In this dehydrated foods lesson plan, students make lists of food they could eat, discuss how dehydration takes place, eat food, and complete discussion questions.
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"Go-Car" Lab
Students construct a car based on directions given. In this physics lesson, students calculate average speed using distance and time information. They collect data and create a graph of distance vs. time.
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Families and Neighborhoods
Students build their own neighborhood. In this lesson on community, students are introduced to books about families and neighborhoods. As a class, the students create their own neighborhood, elect a leader for their neighborhood and...
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Dance: Water Dancing
Examine the way water moves, drips, and splashes with an expressive dance. Learners discuss the ways in which water moves, then create dance sequences that show or describe water. There are several suggestions to adapt this lesson to...
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Drop It!
Eighth graders explore Newton's Law of Motion that states that an object at rest stay at rest unless acted upon by an outside force and that an object in motion stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside force.
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Scientific Inquiry: Periodic Motion
Students construct their own pendulum. In this physics lesson, students design an experiment to find the factors affecting its period. They formulate a conclusion based on experimental data.
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Weightlessness
Eighth graders study weight, force and mass as it pertains to the earths pull. In this weightlessness lesson students are divided into groups and complete an activity.
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F = Ma, Inertia, And Action-reaction
Fourth graders investigate Newton's Second and Third Laws of Motion. They determine what makes objects harder or easier to push. While investigating they determine how applying force in order balance out gravity allows things to stay...
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Movement of Objects
Ninth graders investigate motion. In this science lesson, 9th graders conduct experiments on objects to analyze motion and speed. They define motion in everyday life.
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Simple Machines on the Move
Third graders explore simple machines. In this simple machine lesson students experiment with motion and force. Students have hands on activities and resources are provided.
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Friction and Gravity
Seventh graders identify the factors that determine the strength of the friction forces when two objects push against each other. Describing the difference between weight and mass, they participate in experiments. They state the law of...
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Exploring Pendulums
Students observe the movement of pendulums, they begin to understand the relationship between gravitational forces and the mass of objects, the changes in speed and direction of objects, and the distance between objects. They understand...
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Exploring Simple Machines
Students investigate simple machines. In this simple machines instructional activity, students study how simple machines work. Students determine the function of various simple machines.
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Alka-Seltzer Rockets: How to Build Your Own Rocket
Students create a rocket using Alka-seltzer of baking soda and vinegar. For this physics lesson, students identify the factors affecting the length of time the rocket is propelled. They relate this activity to actual rocket launched in...
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Balloonautics
Young scholars are introduced to basic aerodynamics through a discussion of thrust and drag and a hands-on activity. They examine the forces of thrust, drag, air pressure, aerodynamic shapes and Newton's Third Law Of Motion.
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Picket Fence Free Fall
Students measure acceleration using a Picket Fence and a Photogate. In this physics activity, students drop an object and measure the acceleration of the object free falling. They log their data using the TI.
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How Do Probes Get To Space
Students investigate how force works to propel rockets into outer space. In this physics instructional activity, students use a drinking straw, fishing line, a balloon, and tape to explore how force works in outer space. Students repeat...
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Electric Circuits
Middle schoolers model the flow of electrons in a circuit, draw diagrams of an electric circuit and build an electric circuit. Students explain how to tell when the path of an electric circuit is complete, and test the conductivity of a...
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Weightlessness
Students compare and contrast the terms "weight" and "mass". In this physics lesson plan, students observe an experiment in which objects are placed on a balance scale and weighed under different circumstances. Partners drop items and...
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How Far?
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 by measuring the distance that a...
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Natural Disasters: Nature's Fury
Students explore the human experience. In this business ethics lesson, students analyze primary sources to develop an understanding of the American natural disasters of the 19th and 20th centuries and the implications they presented.
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Calibrating a Roverbot
Young scholars build and program a Lego Mindstorms Roverbot to travel for a given amount of time. They gather data on time versus distance traveled to determine a calibration constant for their robot, which relates time to distance.
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Biodiesel Combustion and Its Influences in NOx Emissions
Tenth graders evaluate the physical mechanisms that cause a change in NOx emissions. In this combustion lesson plan, 10th graders participate in a research project. Students create a presentation of their findings.
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Simple Machine Research
Fifth graders demonstrate the ability to use scientific skills and Processes to describe forces that act upon objects to cause specific changes in motion. They identify and describe a science problem related to forces and simple machines.