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Hovercraft
Students assess human impact on water quality. They determine how the force of friction retards motion. Pupils describe and measure quantities that characterize moving objects and their interactions within a system: Time, Distance,...
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Kinetic Energy
Young scholars are able to solve kinetic energy problems. They are introduced to kinetic energy. Students are shown examples of how to solve kinetic energy problems using the formula: Velocity= Distance/Time.
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Motion
Sixth graders read about and study motion. They conduct a lab in which they calculate speed using track records at their school. They graph the results and then invite a guest speaker (an officer from the local police department) who...
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Physics: Bounce - Projectile Motion and Collisions
Students conduct and observe experiments in Newtonian mechanics, kinematics, and projectile motion. They analyze the motion of a ball rolling off a table, falling, and then bouncing. Students answer a series of questions analyzing the...
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Pendulum Motion
Students explore questions which cannot be handled with simple pendulums, and examine both the usefulness and the limitations of approximations in science. A Java applet created from a Stella model is included.
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Move It!
Students observe a demonstration presented by the teacher covering different types of energy. They participate in an experiment where they study numerous physics vocabulary words and visit websites that demonstrate examples of these...
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TE Activity: Super Spinners!
Young scholars make spinners to investigate rotational inertia, rotational speed, angular momentum, and velocity. They make two sets of spinners that have different mass distributions and shapes. They complete a worksheet while...
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Crash! Bang!
Young scholars study the physical force of linear momentum by investigating collisions. They analyze the difference between elastic and inelastic collisions. They calculate linear momentum.
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Bombs Away!
Students design and build a device to protect and accurately deliver a dropped egg. They review and study a number of vocabulary words that are associated with this lesson. They work in a small group in order to develop a successful...
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Forces of Nature: The Challenges of River Travel
Students examine how river travel affected the Lewis and Clark expedition. They define gravity, slope, and velocity, conduct a river formations experiment, complete an activity sheet, and watch a video about Lewis and Clark.
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Creating Craters
Students explore parts of an impact crater and compare and contrast craters found in Earth, the Moon, and Mars. Crater formation is modelled and the relationship of mass, velocity, and size of the projectile to the crater formation is...
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Cosmic Wheels
Young scholars build a scale model of the Solar System and determine the time other planets take to travel around the Sun in comparison to the time of the Earth's revolution. The velocity of the planets are also determined in this lesson.
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"Measurement in Motion"
Ninth graders examine the rate of motion and changes in motion using a ramp and a rolling object. They conduct the demonstration, determine the average speed, and describe how a moving object can have zero acceleration and deceleration.
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Acceleration, Drag, Gravity, Motion, Forces, and Friction
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...
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Train vs. Car: Who Wins?
Ninth graders conduct an experiment demonstrating what happens when a train hits a car using easily accessible materials. They calculate momentum, velocity, and distance using the appropriate formulas. Then they write an incident report...
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Let's Get Moving
Students participate in sports activities that relate to motion, velocity and momentum. They produce a PowerPoint presentation after researching the activities.
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Up, Up, and Away
Learners study the concepts of speed and velocity and complete practice problems. In small groups, students fly airplanes and record time and distance traveled for each flight. They calculate the speed and velocity of their plane for...
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Making Waves
Students predict and test how the effects of velocity and force of an object or air on water affect the waves created. They diagram a water park ride using their knowledge of these effects to create their desired outcomes.
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Acceleration
The mechanics of rollercoasters, and the acceleration and velocities reached with the different kinds, are outlined in this presentation. Although short, this would be a great starter for a class working with building rollercoasters or...
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How Do You Move Along the Earth?
Students determine their own walking and running velocity. In this physics instructional activity, students calculate velocity using distance and time information. They compare human and animal speeds.
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Marble Madness
Middle schoolers determine the velocity of a marble rolling down the incline. In this physics lesson plan, students identify the independent and dependent variables in the experiment. They construct and analyze a graph.
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Build Your Own Car
Students determine the factors that affect car speed. In this physics lesson, students design a car that can travel fast and far. They record test run data and use them to construct graphs.
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Intro to 2D Motion
Learners study straight line motion and motion due to gravity. In this motion instructional activity students analyze several experiments.
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Velocity, Position, Distance
Students solve problems involving motion and distance. In this calculus lesson, students use to derivative to calculate the velocity-of a function. They observe objects moving along a straight line.