Curated OER
Balloon Staging
Students discover how rockets can reach a higher altitude by using staging. They use balloons to demonstrate this concept and then practice with rockets. They discuss the results to end the lesson.
Friends of Fort McHenry
Cannons During the War of 1812
During the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812, only 25% of the bombs and rockets fired at Fort McHenry actually reached their target. Using an interactive online simulation, combine your historical study with physics and...
Curated OER
Build Your Own Parachute
Young scholars study the basics of parachuting. In this flight and aerodynamics lesson students make a simple parachute and investigate different variables that can cause potential problems.
Curated OER
Space Day Activities
Celebrate Space Day on May 7th with aerospace lessons that are sure to get kids excited about science and engineering!
Freecloud Design
Monster Physics™
Physics fanatics will shriek over this monster-themed construction application! They design an invention with the intention of competing one of 50 missions and test it out with real physics applications.
Teach Engineering
Projectile Magic
What do the movies October Key and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone have in common? The fourth installment of a five-part module presents equations regarding projectile motion and how to rearrange them. Scholars view video clips...
Teach Engineering
Magical Motion
Make solutions to projectile motion problems magically appear using equations. Pupils watch a clip from a Harry Potter movie and find the length of time it takes for a remembrall to fall into Harry's hands. They use a projectile motion...
Curated OER
Altitude Tracking
Students estimate the altitude of a rocket during several flights. They create their own altitude tracking devise. They examine and discuss their results at the end of the activity.
Curated OER
Forces, Controls And Aircraft Systems
Learners are introduced to the physics of flight through video and PowerPoint presentations. They construct and fly model gliders and compete for height, distance, time, etc.
Curated OER
Aqua-Thrusters!
Students construct their own rocket-powered boat called an "aqua-thruster." These aqua-thrusters will be made from a film canister and will use carbon dioxide gas - produced from a chemical reaction between an antacid tablet and water -...
Curated OER
Balloon Jets
Students investigate how fuel amount affects the distance traveled by balloons. In this physics lesson, students collect data and create a pictograph. They interpret data and formulate a conclusion.
Curated OER
Toying Around with Newton's Laws
Eighth graders identify balanced and unbalanced forces that affect the movement of objects and Newton's three Laws of Motion. Students also design a contraption utilizing Newton's Laws of Motion that will launch a marshmallow five meters.
Curated OER
Substances And Chemical Reactions
Students watch and predict chemical reactions when different substances are mixed together. They differentiate between solid, liquid, and gas.
Curated OER
Waves : An Alternative Energy Source
Students evaluate the feasibility of wave energy as an alternative source of energy. In this alternative energy source lesson plan students are introduced to renewable and nonrenewable energy and study energy production.
Curated OER
Introduction to Graphical Representation of Data Sets in Connection to Cellular Growth
Students practice graphing relationships between variables by studying topics such as exponential growth and decay. They conduct a series of numerical experiments using a computer model and a variety of physical experiments using mold,...
Curated OER
Energy Forms
Young scholars explore energy by participating in a science lab in class. In this energy form lesson, students define the different types of energy such as light, mechanical and sound while examining energy measuring tools in class....
Curated OER
Sun too close? We'll just change Earth's orbit
Students study an article and discuss what would happen if the Earth's orbit changed. In this Earth's orbit lesson students answer a list of questions and complete an activity.
Curated OER
A Tour of the Solar System
Students construct a spacecraft out of Lego blocks and other materials. They work on their models in small groups while building. They become familar with the planets while working cooperatively.
Museum of Science
Museum of Science and Industry: Online Science: Activities: Pop Rockets
An experiment where students launch a simple rocket using a film canister, water, and an antacid tablet.
Science Fun for Everyone
Science Fun: The Mind of a Student
In this experiment, we will teach you how to make a simple film canister rocket. This science experiment is fun, easy, and is a great activity to demonstrate chemical reactions.
PBS
Pbs Kids: Activities and Videos: Force/energy
Videos that accompany activities that are hands-on challenges that focus on the engineering design process. They use simple materials, allow for multiple solutions, and are ideal for ages 9-12.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Mn Step: States of Matter: Which Will Propel the Balloon?
For this activity, students take part in a simulation of the three states of matter where they role play being molecules. They then create simple balloon rockets and must explain why a gas is the only state of matter that can cause the...