Equip young campers with important survival knowledge with a set of engaging lessons. Teammates work together to complete three outdoor activities, which include building a shelter, starting a campfire, and finding directions in the...

After a brief lecture on levers, torque, projectiles, and the five-step engineering design cycle, young physical science learners or engineers build catapults out of craft sticks. This is an open-ended exploration of what works and what...

Many historical innovations were created for the common good. Get your students ready for life as a critical thinker with this lesson which defines the differences between innovation and invention. They will conduct Internet research,...

Open learners' eyes to the challenge of finding safe drinking water – something we often take for granted in our country. The PowerPoint presentation includes images, graphs, diagrams, and even a video to stimulate discussion on how we...

When making sweet tea, why do people dissolve the sugar in hot tea instead of cold tea? The class discusses the previous lab and builds upon it. Working in groups, they design an experiment to determine how temperature affects the...

Class members continue their investigation of the factors that influence migration with a instructional activity on human rights. As they examine the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and selected US Constitutional Amendments,...

Third graders examine the concept of work as the movement of an object through a distance. They define gravity and determine what type of work is caused by gravity. They measure how far an object is moved by a force. They make a...

Students complete several worksheets about machines.  In this machine instructional activity students complete several handouts that describe the different machines  and how pulleys work. 

High schoolers use this introductory lab using a tennis racquet, however it is very difficult to study because of the strings and the racquet stretch so little and so quickly during a match that students were unable to make simple...

First graders explore movement and motion. In this motion instructional activity, 1st graders how objects can move as well as how the Earth is in constant motion and the force of gravity. Students complete a coloring sheet.

Students create a definition of matter. In this physical science lesson, students work in pairs to sort items printed on cards into several categories (matter, non-matter, and unsure) and agree on a definition of matter.

Eddy currents, Faraday's Law and Lenz's Law provide the connection between train brakes and and MRI machines in a instructional activity that asks teachers to provided the material needed so the pupils can understand the properties of...

Fifth graders discuss prior knowledge of slope and force. They relate steepness of slope to the force needed to get an object up the slope. Students read from their text the information about inclined planes. They answer the questions...

Students uncover data about magnets and practice classifying them by amounts of attraction and magnetism as an invisible force is introduced. The unit presents the topic within eight lessons.

Students explain how the spin cycle of a washing machine operates. They explore other applications of the centrifuge by reading and discussing the article "Slender and Elegant, It Fuels the Bomb."

Use simple machines to escape from a tree house. Pupils learn about simple machines and how they are useful in everyday life in a STEM instructional activity. Groups then design a device to rescue a friend stuck in a tree house.

Planning an elementary science unit has never been simpler! These twelve lessons guide young scientists through an exploration of simple machines and their many uses in the real world before asking them to apply their learning...

Astronauts train underwater to simulate the change in gravity. An out-of-this-world unit includes three hands-on activities, one teacher demonstration, and a discussion related to some of the challenges astronauts face. Scholars apply...

Young scholars calculate the escape velocity of planets in our solar system and use that knowledge to calculate the escape velocity for NGC 2300 group. They then suggest reasons for the escape velocity to be higher than possible given...

Instructions for building a simple electromagnetic motor are provided for the teacher. Aside from some sketchy background information and a list of content standards to be met, that is about all you will find in this resource. The motor...

Students examine the concepts of forces and motion. They work together to design protective devices for their egg rovers as they are dropped from a specific height. They record their observations and discuss.

What are some of the benefits of physical activity? Young learners take a look at not just the physical benefits, but also the emotional and social benefits of being physically active. There is a heart rate activity to count their...

Students examine the different types of electric motors including their history and classification.  In this motor instructional activity students complete several experiments with different motors.

Students explore Newton's laws, including what they state, and what the intuitive meaning is of the first and third laws.