Sometimes it appears that a bowling ball slides down the alley rather than rolling, while other times it appears to switch rolling directions at some point. Scholars control the bowling ball size, initial rotation, initial speed, and...

Bobsled riders' safety depends on skill ... and physics! Learners use a simulation to understand the physics behind the sport. They manipulate the speed, mass, and/or turn radius of the sled and watch the effects on the centripetal...

Gravity does more than keep our feet on the ground — it holds a satellite in orbit, too. Help learners understand the effects of gravity on an orbiting object through a simulation activity. Individuals adjust a launch speed and watch as...

Did you know physicists can identify new particles by observing the path they take in a particle accelerator? Scholars explore the variables that determine the direction and radius of the circular path different particles take. They...

Does Newton's First Law of Motion explain how to move a sled across ice? A simulation encourages scholars to decide if they should push, pull, or apply no force. Their decision moves a sled across the ice and to the home at the...

Young mathematicians make a tree diagram of all possibilities for sandwiches using an interactive. They learn how multiplication speeds up the process of finding the number of outcomes.

While all light travels at the same speed, each color in the visible light spectrum contains a different wavelength and frequency. Scholars determine the relationship between frequency and wavelength as they complete the activity. They...

Harness the awesome power of gravity. Scholars build a zip line to transport a ping-pong ball. The challenge is to get to the finish line in under four seconds. At that speed, individuals better be sure to strap on the harness!

Enzymes have a need for speed! What happens when they are forced to slow down? A well-rounded lesson plan from the K20 Center examines enzyme activity through role playing and a lab. Biology scholars work in teams and pairs to understand...

The jet stream can reach speeds of up to 250 miles per hour. Scholars learn about the jet stream and ocean currents as they rotate through stations. They answer questions leading them to understand the impact these fluid streams have on...

The potential of the energy in the class is moving. The third segment in a six-part unit on energy provides a deeper understanding of kinetic and potential energy. Learners understand the relationship between mass, speed, and energy and...

How quickly does a plant transpire? Learners explore this question through measuring water uptake with a potometer. They time the movement of a bubble a set distance to understand the motion and rate of speed.

Run, Rich, run! Learners watch a video clip from the NFL showing Rich Eisen running a 40-yard dash. It then superimposes a video clip of Julio Jones. The task is to determine who would complete the dash first—if Julio Jones runs at half...

Scholars must understand freefall before they learn how objects like airplanes fly. They apply knowledge of velocity and acceleration to predict speed and direction as part of a larger series on vectors and projectiles.

Many people oppose genetically modified foods yet support selective breeding in dogs. Learn about the similarities and differences through a short presentation that features many video clips. It covers natural selection, artificial...

Increasingly, colleges and employers want applicants with strong conceptual analysis skills, so give them some practice! Applying these skills to position-time graphs encourages synthesis of knowledge. To complete an installment of a...

Despite its speed and convenience, an e-mail may not always be the best form of communication. As part of a series on specific writing assignments, a handout shares information on effective e-mail communication. In addition to outlining...

Evolution occurs though change over time, but can it go any faster? Scholars speed up the process of evolution and observe a simulation of 20 blue organisms fighting for survival. A graph displays the changes in phenotype over time. By...

Some planes are just more efficient than others. Young mathematicians use data on the number of seats, airborne speed, flight length, fuel consumption, and operating cost for airplanes to analyze their efficiency. They select and use...

Rumor has it exponential functions help solve problems! In a kingdom filled with rumors, young scholars must determine the speed a rumor spreads. The ultimate goal is to decide how many people must know the rumor for it to spread to the...

You matter—unless you multiply yourself by the speed of light squared, then you energy! Scholars learn about matter, energy, the elements and so much more using an informative presentation. Completing the included worksheet creates a...

Here's an activity sure to be music to your ears. Pupils create a music composition using block-based computer coding. They add different sound rings, and then adjust the number and speed of sounds to create their composition pieces.

What? The calculation of area is a linear distance? A short video shows how to use the areas of simple polygons to estimate the area under a graph. Pupils divide the area under a curve into figures to easier calculate the area. Given...

Simply find the slope to find the average rate of change. A short video provides the definition of the average rate of change. Using the definition, pupils calculate the average rate of change to solve problems that cover finding average...