Curated OER
Wind Effects on Model Building: Pre-Lab for Truss Design and Testing
Emerging engineers perform pre-lab calculations in this first of a three-part lesson on model building. They determine the forces of tension and compression in a truss. After completion of the worksheet, pupils will draw a draft of their...
Curated OER
Force Counterforce
Students hypothesize what forces affect the motion of a falling body. In this physical science instructional activity, students create diagrams and illustrations to support their hypothesis. They perform the experiment and record...
Curated OER
Origami Flight: The Physical Setting
Sixth graders investigate the forces that move certain objects. In this physics lesson, 6th graders design and create paper flying objects using origami methods, which they practice flying in different conditions. Students...
Curated OER
Laws of Motion
Students explore centrifugal and centripetal force. In this motion instructional activity, students expand on their knowledge of motion to study velocity, acceleration, and friction. Students examine multiple objects to demonstrate the...
Curated OER
Crash Test Physics
Learners design and test balsa cars. In this crash tet instructional activity, students design and build their own cars to specifications. They explore the physics of motion and vehicle crash safety.
Curated OER
Creating Magnetic Forces
Students discover magnetic forces. In this magnetic experiment instructional activity, students explore magnetism. Students conduct experiments and discover magnetic poles and magnetic strength.
PHET
Measuring the Interplanetary Magnetic Field
Scientists need to figure out how to measure interplanetary magnetic fields, but the magnetic field of the spacecraft is interfering with their readings. Scholars attempt to solve the problem that has perplexed NASA scientists for years.
Curated OER
A Guide (on the Side) to Physics
Students engage in a lesson plan that is concerned with the concepts related to the study of Physics. They participate in class discussion and list common misconceptions of Physics. Students write and discuss the problem of Science...
PHET
Science and Engineering Conference
Young scientists present their experimental designs from the previous experiment. The ninth activity in the series outlines what learners should present, what class discussions should happen, and the solution NASA came up with for the...
PBS
Invisible Force
Investigate invisible forces. Young engineers design a setup that changes the direction of a steel ball using a magnetic force. The purpose of the setup is to model the gravitational pull of spacecraft by planetary bodies.
Curated OER
Race the Track! Shoot the Loop
Students experiment with a steel ball and matchbox car to find the effects of force and motion. In this force and motion lesson plan, students assemble a track, conduct experiments and record on a shoot the loop worksheet. Students...
Curated OER
Race the Track! Design Challenge
Students focus on a force and motion problem, explore it, reflect on it and apply it while completing experiments. In this motion lesson, students experiment with force and motion by creating a track for testing cars.
Curated OER
"Measurement in Motion"
Ninth graders examine the rate of motion and changes in motion using a ramp and a rolling object. They conduct the demonstration, determine the average speed, and describe how a moving object can have zero acceleration and deceleration.
Curated OER
Sports Science
Students explore athletes and how they perform. In this physics lesson, students investigate how physics is involved in sports. Students go online to interactive sites that explain physics and biomechanics. Students also research...
Curated OER
Elements of Physics: Energy And Work
High schoolers examine the difference between potential and kinetic energy. For this energy lesson students view a video and apply these energies to real world situations.
Curated OER
Gyrocopters-Producing Rotary Motion
Students demonstrate rotary motion by practicing with gyrocopters. For this physics lesson students work in groups to construct a gyrocopter and explore how physics effect it torque and inertia.
Curated OER
Newton's 2nd Law of Motion
Students investigate how mass affects the speed of an object. In this physics lesson, students record data on the data table and graph results. They analyze findings and formulate a conclusion.
Curated OER
Investigating Motion
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.
Curated OER
Wright Again: 100 Years of Flight
Aspiring aeronautical engineers demonstrate different forces as they construct and test paper airplanes. This lesson plan links you to a website that models the most effective paper airplane design, an animation describing the forces...
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...
NASA
Two Versions of Gravity: Newton and Einstein
We have all heard the debate about teaching both theories, but an innovative lesson takes the discussion to a new level. Scholars research and debate Newton's Law of Gravitation versus Einstein's General Theory of...
Curated OER
Science: Motion Commotion
Young scholars examine Newton's three laws of motion to discover what causes it and how it changes. They conduct motion experiments by building catapults and constructing balloon rockets. Finally, they conduct peer studies correlating...
Curated OER
Simple Machines
Students explain how simple machines work and design their own machine. They use the Internet for research.
Curated OER
MOTION IN A CIRCLE
Young scholars explore uniform circular motion, and the relation of its frequency of N revolutions/sec with the peripheral velocity v and with the rotation period T, and the "centripetal acceleration" of an object.