Curated OER
Stick To It!
Students compare different types of pressure sensitive adhesive tapes. They fevelop and carry out tests for variables affecting the force needed to peel tape off a surface. Students analyze the time needed to peel the tape with different...
Curated OER
Design Your Own Rube Goldberg Machine
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...
Curated OER
Race the Track! Design Challenge
Students use the design process to investigate physical science. For this force and motion lesson, design a track to achieve a specified outcome. Students complete additional experiments with speed and distance. Students...
Curated OER
Gravity Launch
Students examine how gravity affects launching rockets into space. In this physical science instructional activity, students review the concept of gravity and use an interactive online site, "Gravity Launch," to simulate a rocket launch.
Curated OER
Homopolar Motor Experiments
Students construct a homopolar motor following certain procedures. In this physics instructional activity, students explain how generators and motors work. They compare and contrast the characteristics of both.
Curated OER
Simple Machines, Engines and the Environment
Fourth graders calculate the mechanical advantage of an inclined plane. In this physics lesson, 4th graders identify the different types of simple machines and their uses. They give examples of compound machines.
Curated OER
Electricity's Attraction
Students explore the different features of a roller coaster using an interactive website. In this physical science lesson, students explain the role of science to make this thrill ride possible. They develop a creative presentation about...
Curated OER
Time-delay Electromechanical Relays
In this physics learning exercise, students solve and write short answers to 19 questions on time-delay relays. They explain how the mechanism works and calculate the amount of delay in seconds.
Curated OER
Flight Dreams - Flight Factors
Students investigate the physics of flight by experimenting in class. In this history of flight instructional activity, students define terms such as gravity, lift, and drag in order to better understand how a plane is able to stay...
Curated OER
Go Car, Go!
Students design and build their own car. In this physics lesson, students collect data to determine the speed of the car. They plot the data on the graph analyze the relationship between variables.
Curated OER
Battery Charger
Young scholars explain how battery chargers work. In this physics lesson, students discuss the two main ways that vehicles get charged. They build their own battery charger.
Curated OER
Magnetorheological Fluids
Young scholars conduct a series of experiments on magnetorheological fluids. In this physics instructional activity, students explain how these fluids behave in varying magnetic field strength. They give practical applications of...
Curated OER
Build Your Own Hovercraft
Learners construct a hovercraft following specific procedures. In this technology lesson plan, students explain the physics principles behind hovercraft. They compare and contrast this machine with the aircraft.
Curated OER
Maglev Trains
Students explore how Maglev trains work. In this technology instructional activity, students discuss the pros and cons of Maglev compared to conventional trains. They build a simple Maglev train model.
Curated OER
Physical Education - Gallop
Students practice galloping. In this gross motor skills lesson, students review how to jump and hop using a jump-rope and hopscotch. The teacher shows the steps to gallop and they hold a noodle and pretend as if they are riding a...
Curated OER
Pooper Scooper
Science Students build a pooper scooper tool that helps them clean up after a dog without getting their hands dirty or their noses too close. They research the diseases that can be transported through animal waste and work in teams to...
Bonneville
How to Build a Turbine
Here is a six-minute video of a pair of electrical engineers that illustrate how to build a wind turbine. A list of materials is provided, along with general guidelines for your class. Use this to introduce turbine design to your...
Texas State Energy Conservation Office
Investigation: Conservation of Energy
By rolling marbles down a six-foot length of track, physical scientists determine how much energy is lost to heat. It is recommended that you opt for the foam pipe insulation track because more friction slows the marble, allowing...
Rochester Institute of Technology
Biomechanical Joint
Discuss mechanical advantage and how the human body moves/works. Learners focus on bioengineering, working together to build a functioning mechanical arm. Additionally, they analyze an air muscle, discussing its appropriate use in...
Curated OER
Games on Echolocation
Get a little batty with life science! This fun simulation game replicates how bats use echolocation to hunt moths in their native Hawaiian habitat. After creating blind folds and discussing some basic principles of echolocation, students...
Curated OER
Velocity of Traffic on Highway 26
Physics fanatics time five cars as they pass on the highway. They use the times and a 20-yard distance to calculate velocity. They also graph distance vs. time. A page of student pre-lab questions is provided in addition to the activity...
Curated OER
Sports and Science
Using footballs, basketballs, tennis balls, and more, learners conduct experiments to illustrate Newton's Laws of Motion. The experiments are conducted outside, and require them to throw, kick, and hit a variety of balls. Your...
Curated OER
Electricity and Magnetism
Fourth graders compare electricity and magnetism. In this science lesson plan, 4th graders discuss the concepts of electricity and magnetism and brainstorm examples of electrical and magnetic forces.
Illustrative Mathematics
Bank Shot
Young geometers become pool sharks in this analysis of the angles and lengths of a trick shot. By using angles of incidence and reflection to develop similar triangles, learners plan the exact placement of balls to make the shot....