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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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Physics: Vector Addition
Students drill and practice putting problems into vector form. They draw each problem before trying to solve them. Students draw arrows for any vector quantities to indicate magnitude and direction.
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Catapults!
Students work together to discover the relationship between the angle of catapults and the flight of different objects. They discover the heavier the object the more force is needed. They examine how engineers use this information to...
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Science: Avalanche!
Eighth graders examine avalanches after reading excerpts from John Muir's book, "The Yosemite." In small groups, they conduct experiments with flour, sugar, and potato flakes representing different snow consistencies. Then, 8th graders...
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Weightlessness
Students use a coffee cup to demonstrate weightlessness. After a lecture/demo, students read an article on free-fall. They perform a simple experiment which helps them explain the concept of weightlessness.
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Simple Machines
Fourth graders choose a simple machine and write about they way they believe it will work. Students experiment, write down procedures used and record observations. They will find a picture of the machine and add it to their report.
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Friction of a Block Weight
Fifth graders hypothesize and design an experiment to study the relationship between a block weight and the number of washers it takes to pull a block across various surfaces. Students graph results and apply their findings to a...
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Work and Power
In this power worksheet, students use the equations of power and work to complete 4 word problems. Students use the standard units of watts and joules.
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Physics and the Quantum Mechanical Model
For this physics worksheet, students review vocabulary terms and key equations associated with the quantum mechanical model. Students apply the quantum theory to explain the photoelectric effect. This worksheet has 5 true or false, 12...
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Climatology Forecasting
Students make weather predictions using the climatology method. For this climatology lesson, students review using trends and persistence when forecasting weather. Students discuss the climatology method for forecasting and complete the...
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Here It Comes, There It Goes!
High schoolers use an ordinary toy to reveal the Doppler effect. The connection is also made to moving cars, and to the shifting of the lines in the absorption or emission spectrum when the distance between a star and Earth is increasing...
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Animal Movements
Students discuss the behavior of different animals and how they move. They explore the ways that this helps them live and find food in their environment. They participate in a game that requires them to mimic the ways in which animals move.
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The Ups and Downs of Weight and Mass
Students explore the concept of mass, and how it differs from weight. They also calculate their weight change as they ride up and down on an elevator. They record the changes in their weight as the elevator moves
graph the collected data.
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Simple Machines make work easier.
Students examine how simple machine work can make work easier. In this machines instructional activity students complete an activity that shows them what makes up a machine, and how to measure displacement and velocity.
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Gravity
Seventh graders progress through the Science Court: Gravity CD-ROM program. They read about and discuss how gravity was discovered. They complete review worksheets in preparation for the test.
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Auburn Cord Dusenberg Field Trip
Fifth graders compare two different vehicles and determine why the cars are designed differently. They write four facts learned from the field trip in their science journals including a fact about how force affects the performance of the...
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Astronomer sees a 'Brake' in Cosmic expansion
Seventh graders examine and read an article. In this investigative lesson students discuss questions about the article and complete an activity.
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Good Vibrations
Students demonstrate sound waves and make changes in the waves
resulting in changes in pitch. Students associate changes in pitch in various "musical instruments"with size and shape and the sound waves they produce.
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Deceleration of a Toy Truck
Eighth graders complete labs using toy trucks to study deceleration, record thier data, and then transfer it to graphing software to produce a graph. They create a lab report of the completed lab using a word processing program.
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Weightlessness
Learners predict the behavior of coffee in a cup while it is dropped during a demonstration. They relate their observations to the weightless conditions that astronauts experience in space and discuss the concept of free-fall.
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Persistence Forecasting
Learners study weather forecasting. In this weather lesson plan, students explore forecasting weather methods and do a forecast. Learners study weather reports and discuss the elements of a forecast. Students study the method of...
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#22 Frames of Reference: The Basics
Students explore the concept of frames of reference in physics.
Physics Classroom
The Physics Classroom: Describing Motion With Words
This lesson from the Glenbrook South High School gives a nice review and detailed explanation of velocity, speed, distance, displacement, and acceleration. A good introduction to the "language of Kinematics."
Physics Classroom
The Physics Classroom: 1 D Kinematics: Describe Motion With Speed & Velocity Pdf
A printable, high-school level worksheet with physics problems which allows students to practice describing motion using speed and velocity.