Curated OER
Acceleration 2
In this acceleration instructional activity, students experiment with varying amounts of mass to observe the effects on the force needed to move an object. Students apply Newton's Second Law of Motion to describe the relationship between...
Curated OER
An Uplifting Experience
Fifth graders conduct flight experiments. In this uplifting experience lesson plan, 5th graders build an airfoil and place in a variety of conditions to observe the results of lift and force in flight, as well as angle of attack....
Curated OER
Forces and Cannons
Students create an Alka-Seltzer cannon in this lesson. They explore the difference between balanced and unbalanced forces, and how unbalanced forces can cause motion. They then examine how a cannon works and create their own.
Exploratorium
Whack-a-Stack
Go wild as you hit a stack of wooden blocks to demonstrate Newton's first and second laws of motion. The blocks at the top of the stack stay put as you knock one at a time out of the bottom. Note, however, that you will need to...
Cornell University
Airboats
Don't let the resource blow you away. Scholars build airboats from basic materials and collect data on how far the boats move. They refine their designs taking Newton's laws into consideration.
Curated OER
Free Up the Ketchup!
Students, in teams, use given materials and their knowledge of Newton's First Law to create a device that will remove a sticky ping pong ball from a 16-oz. cup (which represents ketchup stuck in a bottle.)
Curated OER
Waves
Although this was written to accompany a specific textbook, the information can illustrate wave motion for any advanced level physics course. The slides are simple, use plain but colorful fonts, and include diagrams and pictures to...
Curated OER
Freestanding Structures: A Tech Museum Floor Activity
Students attempt to design the tallest structure that they can with the given materials which are wooden dowels and rubber bands. They discuss the physics of their structure and how they would improve it the next time they built a...
Urbana School District
Gravitation
Introduction your class to famous astronomers with a presentation that also covers Newton's Laws of Gravitation, Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion, both uniform and nonuniform gravitational fields, and how to calculate the gravitational...
Workforce Solutions
Newton's Laws
Two lessons explore the connection between energy transformation and a given job. In lesson plan one, small groups role-play a scenario that showcases the energy transformations that may take place during a job-specific task. The second...
Scholastic
Study Jams! Simple Machines
Here is a tri-faceted resource that has a slide show, a quiz, and a vocabulary list that you can use to teach simple machines. Six machines are introduced: wheels and axles, planes, levers, pulleys, wedges, and screws. Slides contain...
Curated OER
Swinging
Middle schoolers examine and modify a swinging apparatus. They describe the motion of an object by its position, direction of motion, and speed. Students measure motion using a graph.
Curated OER
Hlf-Ball
Students investigate Newton's Laws of Motion and the Law of Conservation of Energy. They examine how a ball and half-ball behave and relate these laws to what happens to the ball. Students produce a graph of the data collected and...
Curated OER
Identify the Types of Forces
In this physical science worksheet, students complete an 8 question multiple choice online interactive quiz about the types of forces and the laws of motion. The quiz may also be printed and completed on paper.
Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl Matilda Lesson Plans
Fifty eye-catching pages contain six lessons about Roald Dahl's novel, Matilda. Each lesson has a theme and covers a different subject—literacy, social-emotional learning, science, and geography. Scholars analyze characters, examine...
Curated OER
Medieval Catapults
Students design and build a working catapult or trebuchet to explore the concepts of force, motion, and distance.
Curated OER
Fast Cars and Roll-Over
Young scholars creat a ramp using cardboard and tape. They follow directions to perform an experiment to determine the degree of tilt needed to cause an empty milk carton to tip over. Students discuss their results in terms of center of...
Curated OER
Newton Rocket Car
Students observe a demonstration of Newton's third law of motion using a small wooden car. They discuss Newton's third law of motion and what happens to motion if the mass or acceleration is increased, construct their car, and record...
Curated OER
Sports Science
Students explore athletes and how they perform. In this physics instructional activity, students investigate how physics is involved in sports. Students go online to interactive sites that explain physics and biomechanics. Students...
Curated OER
Describing Motion
Reinforce the concepts of motion and force in this graphic organizer, which prompts students to provide the effect of pushing and pulling an object, as well as an object in motion. Ample space in the answer section allows students to...
Cornell University
The Physics of Bridges
Stability is key when building a bridge. Scholars explore the forces acting upon bridges through an analysis of Newton's Laws and Hooke's Law. The activity asks individuals to apply their learning by building a bridge of their own.
Curated OER
Following Directions
Kindergartners learn about the ways force can stop and reverse motion. Several illustrations of children help them determine if the motion is causing an item to change direction. Next, they conduct an experiment to see if a water balloon...
Curated OER
How to Make a Wind Vane
Students measure the direction of the wind. In this Science lesson, students make their own wind vane. Students discuss the importance of wind direction and speed.
Curated OER
Momentum Worksheet
Young Newtons solve nine momentum problems on a physics homework assignment. They tell which moving object has more momentum, compute average force, determine velocity, and more. Using this resource, you can assess your physics pupils'...