Bottle up pupils' energy to complete a great resource. Scholars design toy cars out of plastic water bottles. They consider different sources of energy to power the cars, such as rubber bands, balloons, and chemical reactions.

Where does the energy of an arrow come from? Is it from the person, the bow, or somewhere else? A simulation allows scholars to adjust the stretch distance and the elastic constant in order to understand where the energy comes from, what...

Bridge young mathematicians' knowledge of engineering and design. Pupils use two desks and a plastic sheet to simulate a bridge. After learning about energy transformations, they use available materials to design a sensor that detects...

Examine the behavior of energy as water freezes and melts. An engaging activity provides a hands-on experience to learners. Collaborative groups collect data and analyze the graphs of the temperature of water as it freezes and then...

The Environmental Protection Agency monitors sensors to track air pollution and set clean air standards. Enthusiastic young scientists use similar sensors to gather data in their area and then apply the gas laws and conservation of...

Explanations for six different physics lab activities and five suggested assessments are contained in this resource by the National Science Teachers Association. Any combination can be used to open learners' eyes to rotational motion....

Fifth graders explore how energy changes from one form to another within their surroundings. They explore how kinetic and potential energy relate to each other and the ability to do work. Students observe example of both kinetic and...

Students study kinetic energy and friction and how it pertains to a roller coaster.  In this roller coaster lesson students complete a lab activity.

Sixth graders use prior knowledge to create a tri-fold study guide using Microsoft Publisher (if available). They include real world examples that show balanced and unbalanced forces, kinetic and potential energy, and vocabulary. The...

In this chemical reactions worksheet, students determine the reaction rate for various reactions, write balanced equations, create graphs showing the reaction over time, and calculate the activation energy and potential energy. This...

In this energy transfer activity, students answer 17 questions about energy, kinds of energy and forces that do work. They calculate power of forces and work done on objects.

Students distinguish between energy, work, and power. They calculate work done by a force and the power used. THey identify the force that does work through creating a Webpage, Power Point presentation, and completing online activities.

Students observe a demonstration presented by the teacher covering different types of energy. They participate in an experiment where they study numerous physics vocabulary words and visit websites that demonstrate examples of these...

In this chemical reactions worksheet, learners read about different types of chemical reactions, potential and chemical energy. They answer three questions about their reading.

In this thermochemistry worksheet, students answer twenty multiple choice questions about heat, enthalpy changes, thermal, mechanical and electrical energy and the laws of thermodynamics.

For this NASA satellites worksheet, students read about the Magnetosphere Multi-Scale satellite constellation that NASA will launch in 2013. They solve 4 problems including finding the volume of the MMS constellation, finding how long it...

In this kinetics learning exercise, students solve seven problems related to chemical reactions and their rates. Students identify rate laws for mechanisms, they draw reaction diagrams, and they determine rate constants.

This simple activity is ideal for upper elementary learners when studying physical science. Using their sense of touch to describe how hot something feels, and then comparing their observations to thermometer measurements, they discover...

Take part in a fun experiment and hold an impromptu bouncing contest with your class. Young scientists heat and cool balls before bouncing them to determine whether temperature changes affect how they bounce. The set of...

There's quite a bit in this physical science packet. First, how is heat transferred? Learners read a brief explanation of conduction, convection, and radiation before identifying common occurrences (with pictures) as one of the three....

Design protection from high-speed particles. The STEM lesson plan highlights why astronauts need protection from space debris. Pupils use the design process to design, build, and test a spacesuit that will protect a balloon from a...

Heat things up in your physical science class with this interactive lesson series on thermodynamics. Through a series of class demonstrations and experiments, young scientists learn how heat is transferred through conduction,...

Demonstrate the particle theory of matter to high school scientists with an engaging experiment that allows them to visually see the results as substances change from one state to another. The class concludes with a discussion about how...

Students are introduced to potential and kinetic energy through the example of a ball being thrown straight up in the air. They are then told that the energy associated with the position of the object is referred to as potential energy....