Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Rocking the Boat

For Students 3rd - 8th
Become an engineer for a day and discover the best way to keep from rocking the boat in this engineering science fair project. When a ship rocks back and forth, it can make people seasick, but also it makes it dangerous for jets to land...
Handout
Utah Education Network

Uen: Force, Energy, and Motion: Complex Machines for Simple Tasks!

For Students 3rd - 8th
Designed for Grade Eight, this collection of lessons provides information, examples and quizzes related to simple machines. Elementary students studying this topic will find this site informative as well.
Lesson Plan
The Wonder of Science

The Wonder of Science: Ms Ps2 1: Collision Design Solution

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Help your students explore how the motion of objects changes during a collision. This website includes work samples, phenomena, assessment templates, and videos that focus on collision design solution.
Unit Plan
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Physical Science: Newton's Third Law

For Students 7th - 9th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Newton's Third Law of Motion - action and reaction forces and why they are not balanced forces.
Activity
University of California

Understanding Science: Newton's 2nd Law: Inquiry Approach Lesson

For Teachers 10th - 12th
For this lesson, students develop their own scientific experiment to test Newton's hypothesis that the acceleration of an object depends on the net force acting upon it and its mass. After completing their designed experiment, students...
Activity
Other

Center for Education Partnerships: The Marble Roll

For Students 3rd - 9th
In this Science-athon, students try to make their marble roll the farthest across a flat surface, using their knowledge of forces, motion, and energy to guide them through their apparatus design. Teachers must enroll online.
Lesson Plan
The Wonder of Science

The Wonder of Science: Ms Ps2 2: Forces, Mass and the Motion of an Object

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Cover standards for middle school force, mass, and the motion of an object with this site. Find work samples, phenomena, assessment templates, and videos that directly address standard.
Website
Science Museum of Minnesota

Science Museum of Minnesota: Students as Designers

For Students 3rd - 5th
This site provides eight projects to use in an elementary classroom to encourage students to become inventors/designers. Invention, prototyping, materials exploration, creative writing, problem-solving, and group presentations are...
Lesson Plan
Discovery Education

Discovery Education: Build Your Own Perpetual Motion Machine [Pdf]

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A lesson plan for students to explore the conversion of energy from electrical energy to kinetic energy by constructing a homopolar motor. Also by constructing the motor, students can investigate magnetism, electricity, and RPM.
Handout
PBS

Pbs Kids: Design Squad Challenge: Rubber Band Car [Pdf]

For Students 3rd - 8th
Hands-on challenge to build a car using a rubber band and only two wheels that can go really fast and far. Provides full list of materials with ideas on how to design, build, and test and redesign. Activity focuses on the engineering...
Activity
Science Museum of Minnesota

Science Museum of Minnesota: Motion Machine

For Students 3rd - 9th
A lesson in which students design a machine that makes motion.
Unit Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Engineering Out of Harry Situations

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Under the "The Science Behind Harry Potter" theme, a succession of diverse complex scientific topics are presented to students through direct immersive interaction. Student interest is piqued by the incorporation of popular culture into...
Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Launch Into Learning: Catapults!

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Young scholars learn about catapults, including the science and math concepts behind them, as they prepare for the associated activity in which they design, build and test their own catapults. They learn about force, accuracy, precision...
Article
Other

Live strong.com: The Physics of Throwing a Football

For Students 9th - 10th
Discussions on the subject of throwing a football are as common as chalk lines on a football field. Coaches and players talk about the proper grip, footwork and throwing motion, but few discussions mention the physics involved. Prolific...
Activity
Other

Center for Science Education: Eye on the Sky: Motion of the Sun and Earth

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Students model the interaction of the earth and the sun. The activity is designed for the playground. You will need chalk, but all the other worksheets are provided.
Handout
Science Struck

Science Struck: Components of a Suspension System

For Students 9th - 10th
Suspension systems on a vehicle absorb the shocks from contact with a road while it is in motion. This article explains related terminology, how suspension systems work, the components, and the different types of suspension springs.
Activity
Museum of Science

Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago: Activities: Make and Fly a Helicopter

For Students 3rd - 8th
Print and cut out the template for the helicopter. Then experiment with adding and subtracting weight, or changing the shape of the copter or the blades to see what makes it fly best.
Activity
Technovation

Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Build a Crank Mechanism

For Students Pre-K - 1st
In this challenge, students will transfer rotational motion into linear motion by building a simple machine. The site also includes tips, a lesson plan, and a place for students to document their engineering design process.
Activity
Technovation

Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Build a Cam Mechanism

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Create a simple machine that transfers a rotational motion into linear vertical motion with this challenge. The site gives more details on the challenge as well as tips and place to document your design process. Teachers can find a...
Activity
Technovation

Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Engineer a Pneumatic Creature

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Create a creature that uses air to create motion with this challenge. Site includes tips, lesson plans, and a place for students to document their design process.
Unit Plan
City College of New York

City Technology: Fantastic Elastic

For Students 9th - 10th
Explore engineering technology with this unit. Students will study how to design and execute two types of homemade vehicles using elastic.
Activity
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Balloon Car

For Students 3rd - 5th
Make 4-wheeled, air-powered cars that jet across the floor. Experiment with the design process and thrust in this activity from Design Squad Nation.
Interactive
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: The Ruff Ruffman Show: Hamster Run

For Students K - 1st
Use the engineering design process to build, test, and redesign structures to help the hamsters reach their food.
Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Art in Engineering Moving Art

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students learn how forces are used in the creation of art. They come to understand that it is not just bridge and airplane designers who are concerned about how forces interact with objects, but artists as well.