Physics masters solve five sliding mass problems. For each, there are a few different values to be determined: normal force, force of friction, acceleration, velocity, coefficient of friction, or net force. Pupils must draw a force...

Fourth graders use a matchbox car to push across a hard surface and observe what happens. They then push the car across a soft or rough surface and discover what happens. The two ideas are discusses as Newton's First and Second Laws of...

Fourth graders explore Newton's second law of motion, testing and identifying the characteristics of objects that makes them easier or harder to push. They identify what types of objects are the hardest to move, then test a variety of...

Students design and build a working catapult or trebuchet to explore the concepts of force, motion, and distance.

Students conduct an experiment about air volume, density, and pressure. In this air instructional activity, students discuss air, and how it moves. They make predictions about what will happen during the balloon and string experiment....

A wonderfully rich presentation teaches about magnets and magnetism. Each slide is packed with interesting information on the discovery, history, physics, and uses for magnets. Good photographs, and an emphasis on vocabulary are part of...

Students experiment try to build a Lego car.  In this physical science lesson plan students present and demonstrate the vehicle that they constructed. 

For this levers worksheet, students read a one page information text about the three classes of levers. Students then analyze 10 pictures of simple machines and circle the fulcrum point. Students classify each machine according to the...

Students examine how gravity affects launching rockets into space. In this physical science lesson, students review the concept of gravity and use an interactive online site, "Gravity Launch," to simulate a rocket launch.

Students make a simple machine. In this physics lesson, students learn about six types of simple machines and the purpose of each and brainstorm examples of simple and complex machines in the classroom. Students create a simple or...

Students explore friction as a force that slows moving objects, explain conclusions in terms of the roughness or smoothness of surfaces, relate results to predictions, and begin to know how to plan a fair test.

Students examine pictures of different animals and decide if they eat meat and/or plants. They inspect models of pairs of upper and lower teeth and discuss which teeth are most useful for cutting grass and tearing meat.

Students complete food chains for organisms in three environments. They use copies of the Habitat worksheet. Students review the food chain terms with the teacher. They research related food chains, and interlink these to form a food...

Students experiment with solids and liquids to find which solids will dissolve in water. This dissolution and mixtures lesson can be completed online or in class as all materials are connected to the lesson plan for both settings.

May the mass times acceleration be with you. The presentation covers forces, Newton's three Laws of Motion, momentum, and vectors.

Students test different objects such as dominoes, marshmallows, slides, and more to test their force, motion, gravity, friction, and the concept of matter. In this force and motion lesson plan, students understand that the force an...

Students compare and contrast where friction occurs in robots and bicycles. In this science lesson, students label the diagram of bicycle and robots. They investigate how friction affects their different parts.

Fifth graders move a variety of objects in different ways to observe the different forces. In this physics lesson, 5th graders observe pushing, pulling, gravity, and friction. The hands-on component, and teamwork involved, should make...

Young scholars examine the four forces of flight. In this flight instructional activity, students test to see which types of items will fly. Young scholars make predictions on whether the item will fly or not. Students gain knowledge...

Students complete a series of experiments using magnets. In this physical science and magnetism activity, students first predict and test the magnetic properties of various objects, then students determine if the size of a magnet impacts...

Learners explore what is beneath the surface of the earth is one of the jobs of a geologist. Rather than digging up vast tracts of land to expose an oil field, or to find coalbearing strata, core samples can be taken.

Fifth graders investigate simple circuits and identify when a circuit is considered opened or closed. In small groups, they experiment with wires, batteries, and light bulbs to identify how to light the bulb. Students also experiment...

Learners investigate the properties of air through inflated objects. In this physical science instructional activity, students examine gas as a state of matter. Student push on inflated objects and note the space the gas has taken up...

Waves, waves, and more waves. Here, class members look at the many types and characteristics of energy waves including transverse, longitudinal, standing, seismic, p-waves, s-waves, and l-waves.