Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Swinging Pendulum

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers engage in an activity which demonstrates how potential energy (PE) can be converted to kinetic energy (KE) and back again. Given a pendulum height, students calculate and predict how fast the pendulum will swing by...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Riding on a Pendulum

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
A comprehensive resource gets fourth grade physical scientists making observations about the period of a pendulum and then applying knowledge to a playground swing. Through seven different stations, they will record observations and...
Lesson Plan
LABScI

Harmonic Motion: Pendulum Lab

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Several times throughout history, groups of soldiers marching in rhythm across a suspension bridge have caused it to collapse. Scholars experiment with pendulums, resonance, and force to determine why this would happen. First, pupils...
Lesson Plan
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Pendulum Time

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
Take your time with this lesson. Junior engineers read about different types of clocks and then work together to build a pendulum time-keeper. There are no hints as to how they might go about accomplishing this complex task, so you may...
Lesson Plan
Clarkson University

Understanding Energy (With a Pendulum)

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Have you ever wanted to play with a giant pendulum? An experiment allows small groups to do just that. They gather data and make observations as they complete the included worksheet. The lesson lays out each instruction including how...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Acceleration of Gravity with Pendulums

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers explore, analyze and study to see whether the length of a pendulum affects its period and whether the mass of a pendulum affects its period. They review and discuss a lengthy list of math definitions and experiment with...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pendulums

For Teachers 7th - 12th
First-time physicists experiment with pendulums in this physics lesson. They vary the weight of the bob, record how long each takes to complete ten period swings, and then calculate the time for one period. They repeat the procedure,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pendulum Lab in 9th Grade Physical Science

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders conduct experiments to determine what affects the rate of a pendulum's swing. Working in small groups, they identify an independent variable to study and create an experiment to test their hypothesis. When tests are...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pendulums

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers explore the period of a pendulum. In this pendulum lesson plan, students make a pendulum using a fishing weight, hook, string and paper clip and measure the pendulum's period. Middle schoolers measure the number of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Swings

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students investigate variables which may seem to affect the movement of a pendulum, or "swing."They interpret their observations and apply the scientific principles to develop explanations and solve a new problem.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pendulums on the Moon

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars conduct experiments to determine if length, mass, or starting angle has any effect on the rate of a pendulum's swing. They also conduct an experiment online to determine if gravitational force plays a role in the swing. ...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Coupled Resonant Pendulums

For Teachers 6th - 7th
Students discover every pendulum has a natural vibration cycle that depends on its length.  In this physical science lesson plan, students participate in an experiment that shows the natural vibration frequency of two pendulums is...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Swing in Time

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students examine the motion of pendulums and come to understand that the longer the string of the pendulum, the fewer the number of swings in a given time interval. They see that changing the weight on the pendulum does not have an...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Foucault's Pendulum

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate how the motion of the Foucault pendulum proves that the Earth is rotating. They research the Internet about pendulums and conduct an experiment online. They view a multimedia presentation about pendulums and read...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pendulum Activity

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders conduct a lab activity that measures the factors that change the swing rate of a pendulum. They create a hypothesis and test it during the experiment. They record their observations using the recording sheets and journal...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Science of Swinging

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students learn how a pendulum works in the concept of an amusement park ride. In this pendulum instructional activity, students are introduced to Newton's first law of motion and how it works in an amusement park ride. Continuous motion...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pendulum Power

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders study the Law of Conservation of Energy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics. they create a pendulum out of either a rope with a bowling ball or barbell tied to one end.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Swinging Pendulum

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Students observe a pendulum and graph their observation. In this algebra lesson, students use the TI calcualtor to graph the motion the pendulum makes. They analyze the graph and make predictions.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Swingers

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars investigate the motion of a swinging pendulum. They experiment with a pendulum to find out why it might swing at different speeds at different times.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Oscillations

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed
Students construct and compare the actions of various pendulums. In this pendulum motion lesson, students build and test different types of pendulums. They conduct experiments with the length of the swing arm and apply mathematical...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Never Push Your Pendulum

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students investigate the behavior of pendulums and identify the variables that affect it.  In this pendulum activity students complete a lab on pendulums, make conclusions about frequency and the period then conduct a controlled...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Swinging on a String

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students explore how pendulums work and why they are useful in everyday applications. In a hands-on activity, they experiment with string length, pendulum weight and angle of release.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pendulums

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students determine what factors effect the period of a pendulum.  In this pendulum lesson students complete a lab activity and report their findings. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Computer Science: Pendulum

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Pupils investigate the basic properties of pendulums as a function of spreadsheets. Working in groups, they measure the period for a pendulum at six different lengths and record the results. They prepare a file using Microsoft Excel and...