Fourth graders investigate the principles and uses of gears, and examine how gears can be used to alter the direction of motion or the speed of an object. They observe two cars with different sized wheels roll down an inclined plane,...

Students use vector analysis to examine the concept of dead reckoning. They listen to a teacher-led lecture, complete a Vector Voyage Worksheet with the teacher, answer discussion questions, and use the Pythagorean Theorem for speed...

In this secondary mathematics worksheet, high schoolers must determine which of two cars arrives in Cincinnati first.  The information about one car is given in terms of distance and information on the other is in terms of...

In this solar and auroral events worksheet, students answer 5 questions about a coronal mass ejection that traveled to the Earth. They find the time it took to arrive and they determine the speed of the coronal mass ejection in...

Learners investigate the factors affecting projectile trajectory. In this physics instructional activity, students calculate the range, time and speed of projectiles using mathematical equations.

Students study the concepts of motion, velocity, and acceleration through graphing their own movement using LoggerPro. They explain the difference between speed and velocity using the weather vane example. They discover the difference...

In this colliding asteroids worksheet, students are given the equation to determine the collision time for asteroids. Students use this equation to solve 4 problems including finding the area of a cross-section through the body of an...

In this ion rocket engines worksheet, students read about how heavy atoms are used to create the thrust in rocket engines. They solve 5 problems including determining the speed of atoms in a satellite, finding the average acceleration of...

In this nebula worksheet, students read about the Crab Nebula and calculate the average speed of the expanding gas. They determine the size of the smallest clumps of gas and they draw the diameter of the solar system to scale.

Eighth graders build and run mousetrap cars in order to measure distance, time, and mass for their cars. They use these measurements to calculate average speed and kinetic energy, then create a slide show to visually explain how the car...

Students explore slope.  In this middle school mathematics lesson, students analyze and interpret graphs as they investigate slope as a rate of change.  Students use a motion detector to collect data as they walk at different...

In this gamma-ray activity, students read about the Fermi Gamma-ray Observatory and how it measures the invisible lumps in space. Students solve 3 problems using an equation to determine the time that gamma-rays travel in space and the...

Students relate math to real life scenarios. In this geometry lesson, students launch a ball tracking each launch using a graph. They analyze their data for speed, angles and distance, trying to improve on each launch.

Eighth graders create rockets that be launched at varying angles to determine which angle is best to launch at for the longest distance.

Students observe how math is important in navigation and engineering. They study how surveyors use math and science to calcute, count, measure, label, and indicate distances on a map. They estimate specific distances.

In this solar flares activity, students observe a sequence of figures of a solar flare observed in 2003 from the Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager satellite. Students solve 6 problems including finding the scale of each...

In this comet tail disruption worksheet, students solve 7 problems using two images from NASA's STEREO satellite showing the breakup of the comet's tail. Students analyze the diagram and use the scale to solve the problems about time,...

Fifth graders throw darts, collecting data for distance traveled. In this data analysis lesson, 5th graders throw a dart using an atlatl. They calculate the speed for each throw and determine the best dart length for distance throws.

Students investigate the engineering design process and the relationship between distance, time, and speed. Using a generic car base, small groups design a device that will protect an egg on or in the car as it is rolled down a ramp at...

Eighth graders participate in an experiment that emulates a sonar signal bouncing off the ocean floor. They determine how the ocean floor is measured by the length of time it takes for the sonar signal to return. They work with a wooden...

Fourth graders study about sound waves and how they behave in various media. They create a soundproofed container. They explain that velocity describes a change in distance over time.

In this variables and expressions worksheet, students solve 7 problems using different mathematical formulae to find the length of Earth's day in the future, the distance to the galaxy Andromeda, the temperature of a gas cloud emitting...

In this Van Allen Belts worksheet, students read about the deadly affects of the high energy particle clouds located around the Earth. Students answer 4 questions about the dosages of radiation astronauts receive in the zones of the Van...

In this algebra worksheet, learners are given a word problem and asked to use algebra to solve it. They have to calculate the speed of a train and a car if they are both moving at a constant rate. There is an answer key.