Lesson Plan
LABScI

Potential and Kinetic Energy: The Roller Coaster Lab

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Ron Toomer, a famous roller coaster designer, suffered from motion sickness. Pupils design their own roller coasters, learning about potential and kinetic energy in the process. Labs focus on the importance of drop height, energy...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Forces in the Sport of Luging

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students discuss force, gravity, and friction as well as examples of each based on what they viewed during a Discovery video. They examine first hand the effect of forces by building their own luge track, making predictions, and testing...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Applied Science -Technology (6B) Pre Lab

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders discuss how simple machines overcome friction. In this simple machine lesson, 6th graders review the parts of a plane and how they make up for gravity and friction. They roll different objects down an inclined board...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Force

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders move a variety of objects in different ways to observe the different forces. In this physics instructional activity, 5th graders observe pushing, pulling, gravity, and friction. The hands-on component, and teamwork...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Introduction to Friction

For Teachers 11th - Higher Ed
Students study the properties of the frictional force between two surfaces in contact. They inspect various phenomena in nature where friction plays an important role and demonstrate
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Acceleration Lab

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young Einsteins experiment with the acceleration of Hot Wheels™ toy cars down inclined planes at various angles. This classic physics lab activity is thoroughly explained in both a teacher’s guide and a student lab sheet. Science...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's the Rub? It's All About Friction!

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers determine the coefficient of friction for different surfaces. In this physics lesson, students identify the factors that affect friction. They collect data and write a formal lab report.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Gravity, Forces, and Inertia

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Young scholars participate in assessments involving gravity, forces, and inertia. They select from a menu of options assessments they would like to complete including worksheets, drawing posters, watching videos, creating crossword...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Focus on Friction

For Teachers 3rd
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Roller Coasters Lab

For Teachers 7th - 11th
Students study kinetic energy and friction and how it pertains to a roller coaster.  In this roller coaster instructional activity students complete a lab activity.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ignoring Friction - Not This Time!

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Students discover the factors affect friction. Students, working in lab pairs, complete various experiments in order to discover what factors effect the amount of frictional force a block has as it is pulled across different surfaces.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fantastic Friction!!!

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students work in small groups to list at least 10 items that have movement or motion choosing one item from the list to use as a topic for the following questions: How does this item move? How can we slow down the movement? How can we...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Laws of Motion

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students explore centrifugal and centripetal force. In this motion lesson, students expand on their knowledge of motion to study velocity, acceleration, and friction. Students examine multiple objects to demonstrate the laws of motion.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Roller Coaster Physics

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed
Students design a roller coaster that allows a marble to run the course as fast as possible. Students create an experimental roller coaster taking into account the steepness of the hills and the sharpness of the turns. Students use a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Friction- What a Drag

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students explore friction. In this friction lesson plan, students investigate that weight and surface type affect friction.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Types of Forces

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students study scientific names and descriptions of forces.  In this motion lesson plan students organize information into a graphic organizer then teach it to other students. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Newton's Laws of Motion

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students investigate the effect of thin films to surface friction. In this physics lesson, students calculate the coefficient of friction using mathematical formulas. They discuss its importance in their everyday lives.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pulling with a CEENBoT!

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate the pulling force of CEENBoT. In this physics lesson plan, students suggest modifications to increase the kinetic coefficient of friction and eventually the pulling force. They write a complete lab report about...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring Force and Motion

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students explore the concepts of force and motion by creating a video.  In this physics lesson, students are assigned one particular aspect of force and motion to investigate and work in groups to create a video that will be...
Lesson Plan
Kenan Fellows

Analyzing Speed from Different Modalities

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Show us your moves. Using sensor equipment, scholars track the motion of different movements, such as jogging, skipping, or jump roping. They analyze velocity and acceleration and create graphs representing each movement.
Lesson Plan
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Purdue University

Exploring Whirligigs

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
What's that silly thing spinning in the wind? It's a whirligig! Explore wonderful windy whirligigs with a STEM-based unit that teaches the science and concepts behind these gigs. Scholars discover how gravity and air resistance...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

CD Slide

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars identify the different types of friction. In this physics lesson, students explain how weight affects friction. They calculate normal force and coefficient of friction using a mathematical formula.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rover Landing Design Challenge

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Students examine the concepts of forces and motion. They work together to design protective devices for their egg rovers as they are dropped from a specific height. They record their observations and discuss.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Simple Machines

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students discover what simple machines are and identify a gear, a pulley, and a lever. In teams, they build at least two models each of simple machines and challenge them with specific instruction cards. Finally, students present and...