Curated OER
Elements of Physics: Energy And Work
Students examine the difference between potential and kinetic energy. In this energy lesson students view a video and apply these energies to real world situations.
Curated OER
IPC Physics Final Review
For this physics review worksheet, high schoolers compare experimental variable, simple machines, and Newton's Laws. Students calculate kinetic energy, work, power, speed, and velocity. High schoolers review conduction, convection, and...
Curated OER
Build Your Own Hovercraft
Students construct a hovercraft following specific procedures. In this technology lesson, students explain the physics principles behind hovercraft. They compare and contrast this machine with the aircraft.
Curated OER
Toying Around with Newton's Laws
Eighth graders identify balanced and unbalanced forces that affect the movement of objects and Newton's three Laws of Motion. Students also design a contraption utilizing Newton's Laws of Motion that will launch a marshmallow five meters.
Curated OER
Friction and Gravity
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...
Curated OER
Proportionality: The X-Plane Generation
Students meet NASA researchers who describe the relationship between force, energy and motion. They discuss how NASA's experimental X-plane is being tested to make space travel more reliable and show how proportionality and ratios are...
Curated OER
Potential and Kinetic Energy
Sixth graders explore potential and kinetic energy. For this science lesson, 6th graders assume the role of a roller coaster engineer and design a roller coaster. Students use their knowledge of kinetic and potential energy to design a...
Curated OER
Wind Power
What a wonderful way to explore wind power! Through this lesson, learners get a background in the history of wind power, create their own wind turbine, and the test their designs. This is a terrific way to tie scientific principles to...
Curated OER
Circle of Pong
Learners, in groups, use given materials to devise a way to deposit a ping-pong ball into a paper cup that is located in the middle of a 6-foot diameter circle, while standing outside the circle.
Curated OER
The Airplane
Students demonstrate the Bernoulli Principle, review the influences that affected the Wright Brothers, and make and modify paper airplanes. This amazing lesson plan has an excellent structure, and very clear plans for the students to...
Curated OER
Rat Round Up
Students build a device that captures and carries a pet rat safely back to its cage with out "harming" the rat or themselves. They build and experiment with wind-up or battery operated rat cat toys after predicting the outcome of their...
Curated OER
Harnessing Solar Energy
Students discover the properties of light (radiant) energy from the sun by experimenting with solar collectors, cookers, and calculators. After a lecture/demo, students create their own solar collectors and test their efficiency.
Texas State Energy Conservation Office
Investigation: Crank It Up!
Following this procedure, eager engineers construct a working model of a piston system, similar to that in an internal combustion engine. Perfect for STEM or automotive technology classes, the activity comes complete with analysis and...
Curated OER
Suited for Space
A fantastic lesson on survival in outer space should excite your learners! Pupils explore the challenges that living, working, and surviving in space elicit. They focus on the spacesuit itself; how it protects astronauts, and enables...
Curated OER
Design a Bobsled
Young scholars apply their knowledge of friction, drag, mass and gravity as they design, build, and test mini-bobsleds.
NASA
Dark Matter NASA Conference
Young scholars calculate the escape velocity of planets in our solar system and use that knowledge to calculate the escape velocity for NGC 2300 group. They then suggest reasons for the escape velocity to be higher than possible given...
Curated OER
Action-Reaction! Rocket
Students construct a rocket from a balloon propelled along a guide string. They use this model to learn about Newton's three laws of motion, examining the effect of different forces on the motion of the rocket. They measure the distance...
NTTI
Vectors: Traveling, But in What Direction
High schoolers watch a video of real-world situations regarding speed, direction, velocity, force, etc. and answer questions while viewing. They then practice drawing and using vectors to solve more real-world problems.
Curated OER
Exploring Buoyancy
Students use materials found at a resource table to design simple devices that will house instruments to take water samples from a tub of water. They design 3 instruments, each varying in density so that one will float, one will hover...
Curated OER
Paper Suspension Bridges: You Want Me To Go Up There?
A few class periods will be required to complete this physics investigation with your high schoolers. There is an unavailable video written into the lesson plan, but there is plenty of material here to bridge the gap. Two terrific...
EngageNY
Why Are Vectors Useful? 1
How do vectors help make problem solving more efficient? Math scholars use vectors to represent different phenomenon and calculate resultant vectors to answer questions. Problems vary from modeling airplane motion to the path of a...
Curated OER
Polymers and Products from Petroleum
Over four sessions, learners survey the production and use of polymers and petroleum products. First, they participate in a kinesthetic activity to demonstrate how polymers act, and review a list of common products made from...
Curated OER
The Tibetan Plateau
Learners discuss the characteristics of the biosphere, with a focus on the Tibetan Plateau. They participate in a question and answer period discussing biomes and climate patterns. They compare and contrast different ecosystems.
Curated OER
Cold, Clouds, and Snowflakes
Students explore satellite data and graphing. In this weather data analysis math and science lesson, students analyze NASA satellite data to draw conclusions about geographical areas where precipitation might have happened. Students...