Curated OER
Egg Walk Challenge
Learners design plastic shoes to walk on eggs without breaking them. For this pressure lesson, students consider all the factors needed to design shoes to walk on eggs without breaking them. Learners calculate the PSI pressure, the force...
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Navigating by the Numbers
Students observe how math is important in navigation and engineering. They study how surveyors use math and science to calcute, count, measure, label, and indicate distances on a map. They estimate specific distances.
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Three D Constellations
High schoolers address a major misconception in astronomy, the understanding of scale. The lesson is designed to introduce students to both celestial coordinates and to the first rung on the distance determination ladder, parallax.
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Levers: What Can Leverage Do For Me?
Students determine the identity of the three classes of levers while explaining how each works. They wait a video clip that shows uses for different types of levers and work as a class to write a KWL chart. Finally, they make a model fo...
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Four-Channel Audio Mixer
In this electronics activity, students design and build a four-channel audio mixer. They complete 2 short answer questions about it.
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Animals Up!
Learners design and build a pedestal or platform that holds a toy animal. In this building lesson, students use knowledge from a prior lesson as they build a platform or pedestal for a toy animal using on index cards. They learn the...
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Pangaea Puzzle: Exploring the Tectonic Forces That Shape the Earth
Sixth graders follow in the footsteps of early scientists as they put the pieces of Pangaea back together and discovered the forces that create the variety of landforms and sea-floor features of our Earth.
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Friction Flyers
Students explore the principles of magnetism and friction. They complete an interactive puzzle on the Gizmos and Gadgets computer software, construct a vehicle, build and modify ramps and vehicles to produce various outcomes, and...
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TE Activity: Build an Anemometer
Students determine what an anemometer is and how it measures wind speed. They decide on a place to put a wind turbine by using an anemometer. They examine the role that engineers play when using wind speed to determine a place for wind...
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Wave Energy
In this wave energy learning exercise, students read about the energy created by water movement and how it is utilized to create electrical energy through two ocean wave energy converters. They answer three critical thinking questions...
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What is ergonomics and why is it important?
Students come up with ideas to help friendly, superintelligent space aliens adapt to this environment.
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Magnetic Force
Learners are introduced to the attraction and repulsion of magnetic forces. In groups, they observe how the forces react with different materials and record their data. They develop their own conclusions about the poles of magnets and...
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Antacid Tablet Race
Students complete experiments to determine how rocket fuel is affected by surface area and temperature. They compare the reaction rates of antacid tablets. They discuss their results to complete the instructional activity.
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Pendulum Patterns
Learners identify the variables involved in the motion of a pendulum. In groups, they research how each different variable is related to the energy the pendulum produces. They share their results with the class and compare them with...
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Moving Along
Students are introduced to the concept of motion. In groups, they practice calculating the rate, time, and distance of various objects on a variety of surfaces. To end the lesson, they apply the same principles to those objects moving...
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What Do You SUBpose?
Submarines are the fous of this math and science instructional activity. In it, learners explore the world of submarines: how they work, and what they are used for. They engage in hands-on activities, watch video clips, and work in...
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Melted Oceans Lesson Plan
Students use melted crayons to mix and blend into ocean in motion scenes. They choose colors that they see in ocean water, melt the crayons, and swirl the wax into designs on white construction paper. They finish the artwork by letting...
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Survival in the Land of Batzilla
Students experience a guided inquiry into the workings of an ultrasonic motion detector. They are led to study something they cannot see, hear, feel or taste. Students design strategies to avoid becoming prey of the predatory "Batzilla."
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Who Turned on the Lights?
Seventh graders discuss how energy is transformed from one form to another. In this physics lesson, 7th graders design and build their own hydro generator. They identify the factors that affect its energy production.
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.
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Swinging Pendulum
Learners engage in an activity which demonstrates how potential energy (PE) can be converted to kinetic energy (KE) and back again. Given a pendulum height, students calculate and predict how fast the pendulum will swing by understanding...
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Secrets Beneath the Waters
Students work in small groups and design a ship out of balsa wood. They hypothesize what happens when the ship is placed in water then make predictions as to which ship stays afloat the longest with the greatest amount of weight added.
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Roller Coasters in the Classroom
Students define kinetic energy and know the effects of weight and speed on momentum. For this investigative lesson students get into groups and design a roller coaster.
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The Magic School Bus Taking Flight
Young scholars learn along with Ms. Frizzle's class. In this Magic School Bus lesson plan, students see how gliders coast by exploring the way different paper objects fall to the ground.