Fifth graders move a variety of objects in different ways to observe the different forces. In this physics activity, 5th graders observe pushing, pulling, gravity, and friction. The hands-on component, and teamwork involved, should make...

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...

Let physical science stars experience Newton's first law of motion by blowing marshmallows out of cardboard tubes! Using different lengths of tubing, they find that more force is needed to overcome increasing friction, and they have a...

Students explore motion by observing the movement of people and duplicating those movements. They compare and contrast various kinds of movements and identify different types of movements in pictures. They build an object that can be...

Eight motion-related problems are contained in this physics assignment. Upcoming physicists calculate combined velocity after collisions, impulse, and momentum. They also address critical thinking situations, making this a well-rounded...

Young learners explore friction. They view a video or DVD (bibliography provided) and define terms related to friction, and work in groups to experiment with the effects of friction on speed and motion using ramps and toy cars.

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...

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

Take a look at an organized physics course. The 34-section electronic textbook covers material in AP® Physics 1 and 2. Teachers use the text to supplement lectures and have the class work through the labs. Each section contains...

Beginning with definitions of mass and foce, this excellent set of slides summarizes Newton's Laws of motion and universal bravitaions. Components of each law are explained along with examples and questions to inspire discussion. This is...

Fifth graders hypothesize and design an experiment to study the relationship between a block weight and the number of washers it takes to pull a block across various surfaces. Students graph results and apply their findings to a...

This series of four slides helps define the terminology that is essential to the study of Newtons Second Law.  Notetaking and review will be easier if supported by these factsheets.

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.

Students evaluate the friction of tennis sneakers and redesign them to increase friction. In this physics lesson, students calculate starting, sideways and forward stopping friction. Using quantitative data, they prove that redesigning...

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...

Young scholars study the friction of a particular sport.  In this weight and energy lesson students choose a sport and us the Internet to research it then present their findings to the class. 

Students identify the factors affecting friction. For this physics lesson, students construct their own rocket car and race them. They graph the average speeds and discuss how lubricants affect friction between rubbing surfaces.

Middle schoolers build parachutes for chicken eggs. In this physics lesson, students describe the forces acting on a falling object. They predict which of the three parachute models they made has the best chance of keeping the egg intact...

In this forces learning exercise, students explain how a car's motion is affected by different forces. This learning exercise has 3 short answer questions.

Seventh graders explore the Laws of Motion. They define friction and explain the concept of inertia. Students explain what happens when a force is exerted on an object that is in equilibrium. They state the second and third laws of motion.

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...

Students explore types of motion. In this motion experiment, students observe how objects move. Students work in small groups to discover the laws of motion.

Students investigate road surface and calculate speed. In this algebra lesson, students analyze the roughness of a road and calculate distance and speed based on friction. They relate friction and energy to speed.

Fifth graders participate in a series of hands-on, Web-based activities and video-based activities to extend their learning of Forces and Motion.