Sixth graders investigate the construction of a magnet and the force it produces. They identify various materials as magnetic or non-magnetic, discuss the properties of magnetic properties, and conduct an experiment with a compass and...

Students use an electronic data-collection device to model the sound produced by a guitar string. They identify the graph of a periodic situation and use the graph to determine the period and frequency of sound waves.

Students sing the song "The Groundhog Came Out of His Hole". In this music lesson, students sing a song and come up with matching hand motions. They use the same tune to make their own song. 

Sixth graders investigate how heat is transferred and the concepts of conduction, convection, and radiation. They define key vocabulary terms, and observe teacher-led demonstrations of conduction, convection, and radiation.

Pupils explore orbital velocities and how they vary along each orbit, according to Kepler's Second Law.

Students gain an understanding of Kepler's 2nd law--that planets (and satellites) move fastest at their closest approach to the center of attraction, and slow down when far away. They explore the concepts of "potential energy" and...

Students explain that planets actually orbit the center of gravity of the solar system, and that distant planets may be detected by motions of their central star around the centers of gravity of their planetary systems.

Students observe a balloon-powered pinwheel to study the principles of rocketry. They study Newton's Third Law of Motion.

Students study Newton's Third Law of Motion which involves action and reaction. They discover what makes a rocket go and then design and construct a rocket that will launch the furthest using the pressure created by an antacid tablet...

It is always a rush to drop objects from great heights, and with this physics experiment, class members will not be disappointed! They drop a single coffee filter from a balcony or table top, record the time it takes to reach the ground,...

Fifth and sixth graders practice working in pairs to determine whether they can walk with constant speed. They test themselves, collect their data, draw graphs with their data collected, manipulate the data, and then draw conclusions...

Engage your class by showing them how silly putty and human tissues are alike. Pupils learn more about tissue mechanics by reflecting upon their experiences with silly putty. The lesson covers   collagen, elastin, and...

Young scholars are introduced to the bridge building challenge. They perform two labs and work in small groups to finish the vector worksheet. Students review vector additions. They then move onto the Forces on an Inclined Plane Lab. ...

Discover the change of the seasons by modeling the Earth-Sun system. Learners model the orbit of the Earth around the sun and explore how and why the patterns of winter and summer occur.

Students 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.

Students study the physics used to design today's roller coasters.  For this engineering lesson students complete several activities including designing their own roller coaster. 

Students identify variables that affect the system, and specify which variables are independent and which are dependent.

Twelfth graders rewrite word problems using algebraic expressions. In this calculus instructional activity, 12th graders calculate the velocity, time and acceleration while analyzing real life scenarios. They solve problems related to...

How can you tell if something is living or nonliving? Introduce a set of criteria which can be used to determine which things are alive and which are not. The class discusses the basic needs of all living organisms, checks out an...

Explore the concept of projectile distance through determining the angle that will provide the maximum distance of a launched projectile.  Students launch baseballs on a football field and video tape the path of the ball.

A wonderful lesson incorporating math and physics skills along with specific details about the planetary bodies. The cross-curricular approach makes for a valid activity to challenge multiple ages and abilities. Your class could work in...

Students investigate that an unbalanced force, acting on an object, changes it speed or path of motion or both, and know that if the force always acts toward the same center as the object moves, the objects path may curve into an orbit...

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...

Falling objects can be brutal if you don't protect your noodle! Scholars explore the motion of falling objects through measuring short intervals to determine if the distance traveled varies with time. Building off of this, scholars...