Curated OER
Focus on Friction
The students learn about friction and forces through direct instruction and an investigation. They use measurement skills, observation skills, predicting, and drawing conclusions based on data collected during the investigation. Students...
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Discovery Science Library: The Basics Physical Science
Students examine friction and gravity. affect four sports. In this scientific discovery lesson plan, students examine how friction and gravity affect sports. They discuss, write, and illustrate the effect of different forces on...
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Good Vibrations: Building a Wave Model
Pupils assess and apply recurring patterns in natural systems. They evaluate the wave properties of frequency, wavelength, and speed as applied to sound. Students develop a relationship to quantify aspects of wave motion. They predict...
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Atmospheric Cells
Students recognize that the sun is the source of energy driving atmosphere cells. They relate the motion of the atmospheric cells to mantle convection cells. Students recognize that the function of atmospheric cells is to move heat from...
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Newton's Laws
Students examine and discuss Newton's Laws and discover his contribution to physics. In groups, they participate in an experiment in which they much apply the Laws to the world around them. They describe contact and conservative forces...
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Eratosthenes And Radius of the Earth
Students calculate the radius of the earth. They use the method and data suggested by Eratosthenes. They investigate the interrelationships among mass, distance, force, and time through experimental processes.
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Four-Wing Paper Boomerang
Learners build a four-wing paper boomerang. In this aeronautics lesson, students construct a paper boomerang and identify the forces at work during flight.
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Newton's Laws and Rocketball
Students investigate Newton's Three Laws. In this Newton's Law lesson, students write the laws in their own words. Students then do an experiment with a ping pong ball. Students drop the ball from a set distance and record their results,...
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Gravitational Acceleration
Students investigate the interdependence of mass and gravitational acceleration using computer simulation. In this physics lesson, students derive the formula for acceleration due to gravity. They calculate air resistance on falling...
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Scooting Along!
Students investigate how Newton's Third Law affects vehicle design. In this Newton's Third Law lesson, students use a web site to research Newton, his third law, and how to design a vehicle that uses a balloon for power. They sketch and...
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Model Rockets
Learners build a model rocket. In this model rocket lesson, students explore a rocket launch cycle. Learners investigate the laws of physics for each part of the launch. Students build model rockets and launch at school.
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Secrets of Lost Empires II -- Roman Bath
Students build an arch with no mortar following the design of the Romans. They use cookies to represent the blocks used and work to distribute the weight on the stones.
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Trebuchet Toss
Young engineers work in teams to design and build their own trebuchets according to certain criteria; they must be able to launch a mini marshmallow accurately into a pie tin. Background reading material, a planning sheet for trebuchet...
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Velocity
Students determine the average speed of a toy car as it travels six different distances set up by Students. Three trials are done for each distance. The only requirements is that the longest distance must be at least three times longer...
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Height of Bounce
Eighth graders determine the relationship between the height of bounce of a ping-pong ball and the height from which it was dropped. They are assessed on the ability to record and interpret data, graph data, make predictions, and make...
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Pendulum
Sixth graders are instructed on how to create a pendulum and measure the periodicity of the pendulum, using four different combinations of string. They are asked which influences the time more- the length of the string or the weight at...
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Mini-labs on Newton's Laws
Students are divided into 6 groups with each group rotating to a different lab. The labs can be run over the course of a few days; or spread out for a longer period of time.
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Airplanes
Fourth graders experiment with gravity and lift by building paper airplanes. In this physics instructional activity, 4th graders compare the falling rate of a crumpled vs. flat sheet of paper. Then after class discussion and...
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(S-1B) Global Climate, Global Wind Flow
Students discuss how the horizontal transport of heat from equatorial regions polewards drives global wind systems.
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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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PHYSICS OF FLIGHT
Ninth graders study the basic principles of flight, including the Bernoulli Principle and Newton's Laws. They construct and study model aircraft
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What To Do After The Hands-Are-On
Learners perform various demonstrations for each of Newton's Laws, collect data, and write a conclusion for each.
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The Spin Doctor Is In
Students are introduced to rotational inertia with some example of objects that rotates: Throw a Frisbee acroos the field and it rotates as it moves. The same is true for a baseball and a football. The two motions, translational and...
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Physical Pendulum Lab
Students calculate the moment of inertia of a disc. In this physics activity, students differentiate the two methods used in finding the inertia. They construct their own pendulum for the lab.