Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Einstein's Big Idea

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners investigate the meaning of c2 in E=mc2 by measuring the energy delivered by an object falling at different velocities. They state that kinetic energy is the energy of an object in motion. Students illustrate how kinetic energy...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Roller Coasters in the Classroom

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students define kinetic energy and know the effects of weight and speed on momentum.  In this investigative lesson students get into groups and design a roller coaster. 
Lesson Plan
Kenan Fellows

Sensors in Chemistry

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The Environmental Protection Agency monitors sensors to track air pollution and set clean air standards. Enthusiastic young scientists use similar sensors to gather data in their area and then apply the gas laws and conservation of...
Lesson Plan
Rochester Institute of Technology

Skateboard Performance Testing

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Perform an activity on performance testing with a lesson focused on the purpose of wheel bearings on skateboards. Learners conduct performance testing on a skateboard to collect and interpret data.
Lesson Plan
STEM for Teachers

Temperature and Bounce

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Take part in a fun experiment and hold an impromptu bouncing contest with your class. Young scientists heat and cool balls before bouncing them to determine whether temperature changes affect how they bounce. The set of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Kinetic and Potential Energy

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Young scholars calculate kinetic and potential energy in the lab. In this physics lesson, students demonstrate how energy can be transformed from one form to another. They collect data from the experiment and write a detailed lab report.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Science: Motion Commotion

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Young scholars 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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rockin Roller Coaster

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students discuss gravitational potential energy, kinetic energy, and the relationship between potential and kinetic energy. They create a working roller coaster from provided materials and criteria then evaluate each roller coaster. They...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Perpetual Motion

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students are introduced to the concept of Energy Conservation with the example of: Tony Hawk seems to defy the conservation of energy as he keeps reaching new heights on each pass on the halk-pipe. Actually, Tony is supplying the extra...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A River Ran Through It

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students research how water is used to generate electricity. They investigate water's potential-to-kinetic energy transfer in hands-on activities about falling water and waterwheels. They take measurements, calculate averages and graph...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Work-Kinetic Energy Theorem

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students prove the validity of the Work-Kinetic Energy Theorem by analyzing the Car and Driver website which lists qualitative and quantitative data about an assigned car. They decide whether or not they would purchase the car based on...
Lesson Plan
University of Georgia

Freezing and Melting of Water

For Students 9th - 12th
Examine the behavior of energy as water freezes and melts. An engaging activity provides a hands-on experience to learners. Collaborative groups collect data and analyze the graphs of the temperature of water as it freezes and then...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Energy Sources - Water Wheel Investigation

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers create their own water wheel to show the conversion of potential energy to kinetic energy. They discover the production of electricity through hydropower and apply it to different situations. They share any data...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Much Energy is a Kilowatt Hour?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study the conservation of energy.  In this energy instructional activity students explain the differences between potential and kinetic energy.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Balloon Ball Bounce

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students explore the rebound of balls. In this energy conversion lesson, students explore the physics behind the rebound of various types of sports balls. Through the experimental design process using balloons, students investigate and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Breaking Energy

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students experiment with the amount of work required to break a piece of wood by hanging masses from a string attached to a thin dowel of wood. At the completion of activity, students calculate if a fast moving hand could break the dowel.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mechanical Energy

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Pupils discover the difference between kinetic and potential energy in an experiment using toy cars and tracks. In small groups, they set up the experiment to determine the distance milk cartons will travel when hit by toy car. They...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Let's Outrage the Bull

For Teachers K - 8th
Learners study kinetic and potential energy. In this energy lesson, students in grades K-2 understand the differences between kinetic and potential energy. Learners in grades 3-5 demonstrate that kinetic and potential energy. Students in...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wind Power! 2

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders explore how engineers transform wind energy into electrical energy by building their own miniature wind turbines and measuring the electrical current it produces. They see how design and position affect the electrical...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Design Your Own Rube Goldberg Machine

For Teachers 8th - 9th
Students participate in a culminating activity for a unit on Energy and Simple Machines. They are challenged to incorporate simple machines in to a complex mechanical system. While designing and testing their machine they will also...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Hilly Ride

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders investigate situations that show how kinetic and potential energy are exchanged. They determine how friction is a source of energy transfer from kinetic to thermal energy by experimenting with a car and track. They answer...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Characteristics of Energy

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students explore Earth science by completing energy worksheets in class. In this energy forms lesson, students identify and define a list of energy vocabulary terms and a K-W-L chart. Students view a matter video clip in class and...
Lesson Plan
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Working with Wind Energy

For Teachers 3rd - 9th
Teams design and build a windmill, under budget, that can lift an object. The groups evaluate and reflect on their own design, then on those produced by other teams. The goal is to determine which design is the most...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Target Earth

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Space scientists use water displacement to determine the mass of a cubic centimeter mini meteorite, and then use it as a small-scale representative of an asteroid. They figure out the orbital velocity of an asteroid. Then they use a...

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