Curated OER
Measuring: Why Can't We All Just Get Along?
Students examine why having standardized units of measurement is important. They investigate the use of non-standard measure, twigs, while measuring the piece of tape. Next, they experiment with straws, paper clips, and rulers before...
Curated OER
Speed
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...
Curated OER
Area of Polygons #2
In this area of polygons worksheet, students find the area of rectangles. They find the width when given the area. Students graph rectangles and solve word problems involving rectangles. This three-page worksheet...
Curated OER
Estimation Challenge
Students calculate the length of the classroom using non-standard units of measurement and estimation. Using a cracker box, they discuss measuring various objects in the room as a class, and independently estimate and measure the length...
Curated OER
ExplorA-Pond:4th Grade Perimeter Estimation
Fourth graders visit a real pond. They mark the pond's curvilinear perimeter using string. They measure the string to find the actual perimeter of the pond.
Curated OER
Galvanometers
Students construct their own galvanometer. In this physics lesson, students explain how it is used to detect electric current. They conduct an experiment to measure how much electricity flows through the circuit.
Curated OER
Estimation and Significant Figures
Young scholars investigate the importance of significant figures through measuring and estimating. In this estimation and significant figures lesson plan, students measure pieces of paper and round their figures to the nearest marking on...
Curated OER
Where Did All the Stars Go?
For this brightness of stars worksheet, students solve 4 problems given a unit of measurement of cents/second for brightness. Students find cents collected in timed exposures, they find brightness of stars and they determine visibility...
Curated OER
Investigating Buffers
Students investigate buffers and their behaviors when used with acids and bases. In this buffers lesson plan, students use a pH meter and create buffered acidic and basic solutions. To each of the buffered solutions students add strong...
Curated OER
Unit Conversions-Energy, Power, Flux
In this unit conversion instructional activity, students solve 4 problems given a list of conversion factors for units of energy, power and flux.
Curated OER
Metrics in the Home and in the Store
Students investigate metric measurement. In this geometry lesson plan, students discover metric measurements of everyday objects as they compare them to US measurements.
Curated OER
Comparing Measurements
Students use a ruler or meter stick to practice their metric unit and estimation skills by measuring everyday objects. First, students estimate the measurements of five distances as larger or smaller than a meter. Students then measure...
Curated OER
In-Line Inertia
Students practice calculating the moment of inertia when discussing a skater and the position in which it is best to spin. After class discussion, students practice calculating inertia on their own.
Curated OER
Mass
Learners determine how mass is a property of an object that can be measured, and examine how size affects mass. They work with balances and determine what units of measurement are associated with mass. Finally, they determine the...
Curated OER
Measuring the Wavelengths of Visible Light
Pupils demonstrate use of an Emission tube power supply, a diffraction grating, and a scientific calculator to determine the different wavelengths of light.
Northwest High School Science
Metric Conversion: Stair-Step Method
Elevate young scientists' skills with unit conversion using the stair-step method. Detailed instructions and a neat stair-step diagram are on the first page. Four pages of practice problems follow, mostly with real-world applications....
Curated OER
Bungee M&M's
Science is exciting - and delicious! Pairs of learners set up a bungee cord type of experiment. They use buckets filled with M & M's, a meter stick, and a Slinky spring (as the bungee) to conduct their experiment. A good activity...
Curated OER
You Are Here
Students map local places and learn to use scale and distance. In this mapping lesson plan, students map their school and a favorite place. Students recreate their maps showing distance and scale sizes. Students locate their...
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Get Connected with Ohm's Law
Ideal for your electricity unit, especially with middle schoolers, this lesson plan gets engineers using multimeters in electrical circuits to explore the relationships among voltage, current, and resistance. Older learners may even plot...
Curated OER
Riding on a Pendulum
A comprehensive resource gets fourth grade physical scientists making observations about the period of a pendulum and then applying knowledge to a playground swing. Through seven different stations, they will record observations and...
Physics Classroom
As the Crow Flies Lab
A simple, yet memorable, way of practicing with displacement vectors is described here. Divide your class into groups and assign each a different landmark on campus. They measure smaller legs of the path from the classroom to their...
Exploratorium
Hand Battery
Get hands-on in your physical science class by having learners conduct electricity with their own hands! By placing one hand on each of two different metals, a current can be generated and measured on a microammeter. Make an experiement...
Curated OER
Metric Mania
In this metric system worksheet, students convert from English units of measurements to metric units of measurements for length. They also convert length within the metric system.
Curated OER
Deep Sea Drilling
Students explore ocean vessels that drill the ocean floor. In this ocean drilling lesson plan, students watch videos about drilling the ocean floor and discuss. Students get into groups, go outside and use string to mark off...