Paddle Boat

Middle school physicsl science explorers play a game using dominoes that you have photocopied onto cardstock. Through the game, they familiarize themselves with the conservation of energy and the transformatin from one form to another....

Potentially get all the way across the water. The fourth of five design challenges asks pupils to develop a plan for a paddle-powered boat that will store its energy. Given a limited number of supplies, the class members design, build,...

Hands-on challenge to design and build a paddle boat that moves across water using a rubber band as its power source. Provides full list of materials with ideas on how to design, build, test, and redesign it if necessary. Activity...

Get your learners interested in space exploration. Groups design space rovers using design software and then build prototypes of their designs. The farther the rovers can travel, the better. The catch? The rovers must be powered by...

When you take a simple task and create an exceptionally difficult way to complete it, it is known as a Rube Goldberg machine. These machines are filled with many types of energy transfers and energy transformations. Here, pupils...

Class, start your engines. Future engineers design a car with old CDs as wheels. The power source? Some rubber bands will do the trick! This is the first installment of a five-part series.

Students research energy conversions. In this energy lesson plan, students describe the basic operation of a steam engine.  They explain the energy conversions in the steam engine's operation. 

Teens often display potential energy in class and kinetic in the hallways. This third presentation covers the six types of energy, each in potential and kinetic form. It also covers the Law of Conservation of Energy and Einstein's...

What a wonderful way to explore motion and forces! Learners design a catapult, after watching a video and discussing types of catapults. This is a comprehensive and complete lesson plan with links to supplementary resources.

Build your own bathtub or pool toy from simple craft materials in this fun activity. You will build a rubber-band-powered boat that can zip across the surface of the water after you wind up the rubber band.