Teach Engineering
Making Moon Craters
Create an egg-citing study of energy. Pupils investigate the effect of height and mass on the overall amount of energy of a falling object. The fourth segment in a six-part series on energy uses a weighted egg falling from different...
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Science: Wind Power
Students build models of wind turbines and experiment with different designs that will improve efficiency. Students will understand the use of wind power as a renewable resource.
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Gravity
Students perform inquiry in response to the question "Do objects fall at the same rate?", teacher candidates discuss a model experiment for secondary students to discover the answer, including recording and analyzing data.
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Wind Power
Middle schoolers explore wind energy. In this wind power lesson, students create models of wind turbines and experiment with changes that will help efficiency. Middle schoolers watch a video on wind power and discuss. Students work in...
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Friction: Friend or Foe?
Using a hands-on approach, learners explore the effect of friction on objects. Learners use toy cars, shoes, wood, metal, and more to experiment with the causes and effects of friction. Afterwards, they conduct experiments in which they...
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Spuds in Space
Young scholars explore the effects of velocity on an object when it collides with another object. They design and outfit a potato astronaut in a spacesuit to withstand the hazards of high velocity impacts from space debris and meteoroids.
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Exploring Ecosystems
Learners examine the relationships between plants, animals, and the environment in ecosystems. They sort animal cards, collect natural materials from the schoolyard, and record an ecosystem web in the form of a poster.
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Forces Applied to an Object
Fourth graders predict, observe, and compare what happens when a force is applied to an object. In this forces lesson, 4th graders complete a 'swinging hammer' activity to learn about forces and motion.
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Classify Forces
Third graders compare and contrast the forces of pushing and pulling. As a class, they take a field trip around the school and write down any action they see and any object that is motionless. In groups, they use magazines to cut out...
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Forces in a Climb - Vectors
Learners read Forces in a Climb from the Beginner's Guide to Propulsion, and explain each of the formulas using vectors.
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Leonardo Lives
Young scholars investigate the concepts of force and motion. They describe how motion is created by force. Also students define a simple machine and the factors of application to creating force or motion. They analyze the plans of...
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The Raw of Newton’s 3rd Law
Students identify the action and reaction forces acting on the CEENBoT. In this physics lesson plan, students describe everyday applications of Newton's 3rd Law. They create a cluster word web about this law.
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Secondary Robot
Learners identify the forces acting on a stationary/constant velocity robot. For this physics lesson, students draw a free body diagrams of the forces. They explain the difference between zero acceleration and zero net force.
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Picket Fence Free Fall
Students measure acceleration using a Picket Fence and a Photogate. In this physics activity, students drop an object and measure the acceleration of the object free falling. They log their data using the TI.
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A Focus on Mechanical Friction
Learners explore mechanical friction. They perform experiments to observe the direction of mechanical motion and the difference between rolling and sliding friction. Data results on the experiments are recorded and students answer...
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Focus on Friction
The students learn about friction and forces through direct instruction and an investigation. They use measurement skills, observation skills, predicting, and drawing conclusions based on data collected during the investigation. Students...
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"Go-Car" Lab
Students construct a car based on directions given. In this physics lesson, students calculate average speed using distance and time information. They collect data and create a graph of distance vs. time.
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Identifying Forces
Students identify, describe and indicate direction and relative magnitude of forces. In this motion instructional activity students work in groups to identify the force that is described to them.
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Types of Forces
Students study scientific names and descriptions of forces. In this motion lesson students organize information into a graphic organizer then teach it to other students.
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Newton's Laws of Motion
Students perform three activities that each demonstrate one of Newton's Laws of Motion. They use a ramp and toy car to demonstrate inertia, calculate acceleration due to gravity, then use a medicine ball and rolling chair to demonstrate...
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Circular Motion
Ninth graders explore circular motion. In this centripetal force lesson students complete a lab activity while in groups.
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Newton's Third Law of Motion
Seventh graders are introduced to Newton's Third Law of Motion. In this physics activity students examine the concept of thrust as one of the forces acting on aircraft.
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Lab for Truss Design and Testing
Students design and build their own truss. In this physics lesson, students calculate the forces and maximum load. They complete a full scale diagram of their design.
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Investigating Motion, Forces, and Energy Lab Book
Eighth graders create their own experiements using toy trucks, cars or balls to measure the time it takes two of them to travel 5 meters, as well as at each 1 meter interval. They make use computers to make a time/distance graph and...