Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Newton's Third Law and Aircraft Propulsion

For Teachers 8th - 9th
Students research propulsion, graph data, and interpret the results.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Space Ship Pilot

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students visualize the relationship between acceleration and velocity as they maneuver a model spaceship in a 2-dimensional applet.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Parachute - Land and Weather

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners use different parachute activities to study weather and land patterns and formations. Tornados and hurricanes can be discussed as students make large waves (move from very high to very low) that mimmick these two weather...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Swinging on a String

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students explore how pendulums work and why they are useful in everyday applications. In a hands-on activity, they experiment with string length, pendulum weight and angle of release.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Seashore Limitations

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students demonstrate the movements and behaviors of creatures from different parts of the ocean.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Angles: Angles, Angles, Everywhere

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students estimate and accurately measure the size of angles communicate with the appropriate geometric terms and symbols to describe and name angles, lines, line segments, rays
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Path of the Sun: The Ecliptic

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers investigate the celestial sphere and the paths it takes in the solar system.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Measuring the Diameter of Our Star

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students conduct an experiment to measure the diameter of the sun. In this astronomy lesson,  students construct a simple equipment to collect scientific data. They calculate the sun's diameter using a given formula.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Looking into Eratosthenes' Radius of the Earth

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students, in small groups, research Eratosthenes and his calculations of the Earth's radius. They write a summary of the person, the experiments and his calculations to determine how accurate Eratosthenes was in his estimations of the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Drifting Continents, Dynamic Results

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers plot earthquake and volcano data using a Compass Rose Plotting. They explain the relationship between plate movement and connection. They draw conclusions that earthquakes and volcanoes occur in predictable locations.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Life of Thomas Edison

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students research the life of Thomas Edison. In this Thomas Edison lesson, students explore major life events of Thomas Edison. Students investigate the inventions of Thomas Edison.  Students discover how various fields of study...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Sun

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders examine basic information about the sun and its relationship to the solar system. They conduct Internet research and complete a WebQuest about the sun. Students then create a seven question true or false quiz using...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Making Waves, Making Music, Making Noise

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders watch a demonstration on how talking cans produce sounds. In groups, they compare and contrast the sounds from different sized cans. They participate in a variety of activities to discover how sounds are made and how...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Induction: Inquiry in Action

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students investigate the factors that affect the induced current in a loop of wire. They discuss Faraday's Law and Lenz's Law. Students identify the different variables that affect the magnetic flux and calculate the magnetic flux...
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
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Making Paper

For Teachers K
Students create paper by adding a few small scraps of paper into the blender pitcher and adding just enough water to thoroughly soak paper.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's it Like Inside the Sun?

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students perform experiment in which they model convection as it occurs in our Sun. They also explain that convection acts where the effect of gravity and heat are present (low density fluids can rise and cool, and high density fluids...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hip Replacement

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students take a close examine animals' skeletons to see how their pelvis and femur work together for movement. By investigating their skeletons students discover the placement and functions of our own bodies. They use owl pellets in this...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lincoln's Secret Weapon

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students explore how principles of gas behavior relate to diving in order to plan safe underwater activities.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Airplane flight

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students learn the basic concepts about airplane flight. They learn the reason jetliner wings are swept back and why jet engines have replaced propellers in high-speed flight.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Density

For Teachers 9th
Learners predict when an object will float or sink based on comparison of density of the object to the density of the substance in which it is placed. The access a website and sketch the object in the first column of their table and then...
Lesson Plan
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NASA

Pop! Rockets

For Teachers K - 8th
Off they go — launching rockets is fun. The lesson plan contains templates to build paper rockets that can be launched from a PVC pipe launcher. Individuals or groups build the rockets and determine the shapes for their fins. Included...
Lesson Plan
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NASA

Launch Altitude Tracker

For Teachers K - 12th Standards
Using PVC pipe and aquarium tubing, build an altitude tracker. Pupils then use the altitude tracker, along with a tangent table, to calculate the altitude of a launched rocket using the included data collection sheet.
Lesson Plan
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NASA

Rocket Wind Tunnel

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Using a teacher-built wind tunnel constructed from a paper concrete tube form, a fan, and a balance, individuals determine the amount of drag their rocket design will experience in flight. Pupils make modifications to increase the...