Students determine the force of a helium balloon that allows it to rise a specific distance.  In this helium instructional activity students calculate the amount of paper needed to construct a weight and determine the density of a...

Student identify the three stationary positions, on the Earth, on the Moon, and in a house floating atop the cloud layers of Jupiter. They also identify the three orbiting positions, orbiting the Earth, orbiting the Moon, and orbiting...

Preparing for an AP test is about more than bubble sheets and memorization. The two activities in this resource require a direct application of skills learned throughout an AP Physics course.

High schoolers identify the different types of friction. In this physics lesson, students explain how weight affects friction. They calculate normal force and coefficient of friction using a mathematical formula.

Students compare and contrast the terms "weight" and "mass". In this physics lesson, students observe an experiment in which objects are placed on a balance scale and weighed under different circumstances. Partners drop items and observe...

Students classify the characteristics of butterflies and moths moths. For this life cycle lesson, students identify butterflies and moths common in the state of Iowa as well as their characteristics.  Students then learn the proper...

Learners map an actual local waterway. They create full color scale drawings that include windfalls, plant cover, streambed composition, and landmarks such as trees, boulders, and slumps. This is a long-term project that involves...

Students explore friction. In this friction lesson, students investigate that weight and surface type affect friction.

Students explore kinetic energy.  In this energy instructional activity students complete an activity and explain what happened. 

Learners use inquiry and observation to explore Newton's third law of motion: for every action there is a reaction. In this physics activity, students rotate through six stations set up with materials and picture directions illustrating...

Students discussion frictional force, kinetic friction, and static friction and the role each plays in acceleration and velocity in relationship to a car and the road on which it is traveling. Students complete lesson answering review...

Young scholars illustrate Archimedes' Principle of Buoyant Force. In this graphing lesson, students will observe that the buoyant force on an object is equal to the weight of the fluid it displaces. Young scholars will then create a...

Students place words describing a range from cold to hot on a scale. Using those words, they identify places on Earth which are cold, hot, freezing or boiling. They practice using and reading a thermometer with three different beakers...

Eighth graders study weight, force and mass as it pertains to the earths pull.  In this weightlessness lesson students are divided into groups and complete an activity. 

In this acceleration activity, students experiment with varying amounts of mass to observe the effects on the force needed to move an object. Kids apply Newton's Second Law of Motion to describe the relationship between mass and force...

Students examine the effects of packaging decisions and the engineering advancements in packaging materials and waste management. They observe biodegradation in a model landfill.

Second graders explore dinosaurs and identify them by their size. They compare the dinosaurs with objects around the school or on the playground. Students predict which dinosaurs are the largest and then measure the length of dinosaurs.

Third graders engage in a manipulative experiment in the mechanical advantage of simple machines. It graphically demonstrates the change in magnitude of applied force when using simple machines. Great for ESL to discover the ratio...

Learners watch a demonstration that introduces them to the idea that friction is a force that impedes motion when two surfaces are in contact. They work in groups to experiment with frictional force using a coffee cup on which they alter...

Students analyze velocity and how it is determined. They experiment with velocity in order to measure and calculate the magnitude of speed. They use examples in their novel "Skateboard Renegade" to relate velocity to real life situations.

Fourth graders conduct an experiment involving size and relative ability in smaller species using Madagascar cockroaches. They make predictions about how many pennies the roaches can pull, compare the results to human strength, and...

Sixth graders explore the causes and effects of earthquakes. They also collect and analyze data in graphs. They also use the Internet to research earthquakes

Groups of students rotate through five classroom stations to estimate, measure, and record volume, length, weight, mass, and area using both customary and metric measure. They evaluate their data to determine how close their estimates...

Students explain what biodegradable materials are and list examples of them. They design, with online partners' feedback and input, a product made of biodegradable materials and develop a marketing campaign to best sell their product.