Curated OER
Astronauts Build Space Station Addition
Students read a story called Astronauts Finish Building Space Station Addition and answer vocabulary and comprehension questions about it. In this space station lesson plan, students respond to literature by answering questions,...
Curated OER
Mini-Landslide
Students explore how different materials (sand, gravel, lava rock) with different water contents on different slopes result in landslides of different severity. They measure the severity by how far the landslide debris extends into model...
Curated OER
Build A Borneo Glider!
Students construct a paper glider. In this physics of gliding lesson, students first learn about Borneo and it's rainforest habitat. After students discover the way animals in Borneo glide from tree to tree, they use their newly acquired...
Cornell University
The Physics of Bridges
Stability is key when building a bridge. Scholars explore the forces acting upon bridges through an analysis of Newton's Laws and Hooke's Law. The activity asks individuals to apply their learning by building a bridge of their own.
American Museum of Natural History
Light, Matter and Energy
Let Einstein's work shine the way. Pupils read about Einstein's iconic equation, E=mc^2, using a remote learning resource and see how ideas from other scientists such as Kepner, Curie, Galilei, and Newton led to its discovery. They...
Curated OER
What is Water?
Students examine water's properties. They participate in hands-on activities to show the properties of water.
Curated OER
Waves
Although this was written to accompany a specific textbook, the information can illustrate wave motion for any advanced level physics course. The slides are simple, use plain but colorful fonts, and include diagrams and pictures to...
Foundation for Water & Energy Education
Perpetual Flow Activity
Set up a demonstration of how gravity can drive the perpetual flow of water during your hydro power unit. Science learners work in teams to make observations and formulate questions about how it works. They compare the model to what they...
Curated OER
Frisbee Physics
Students explain how a Frisbee flies, why it's shaped he way it is and how fast and how far the Frisbee can go.
Curated OER
Life in Space: International Space Station
Young scholars explore the potential challenges of living in space. In this investigative instructional activity students search the Internet to locate 16 nations that are working together to build the Independent Space Station,...
Curated OER
Parachutes
Students control the parachutes using arm movements. They follow directions while participating in games. Students explore the effects of wind on several objects. They study the effects of shape, size and weight on a parachute.
Curated OER
Torque Play
In this physics activity, students use torque to explain several very odd phenomena. They write the definition of torque and the relation between torque and change in angular momentum.
Teach Engineering
May the Force Be With You: Lift
Get the class up and going with a lesson that discusses how airplane wings provide lift. Pupils use their knowledge of Bernoulli's Principle to develop an explanation of how it creates lift on airplane wings.
Mr. E. Science
Forces
May the mass times acceleration be with you. The presentation covers forces, Newton's three Laws of Motion, momentum, and vectors.
Curated OER
Let the River Run
Students explore the environment by reading a story in class. In this water formation activity, students define environmental terms such as rivers, streams, gulf, oceans and lakes. Students read the story A River Ran Wild and discuss the...
Curated OER
Take a Leap!
Eighth graders discuss the flight of the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk. They study artwork of various sculptors showing the concept of flight. They write a paragraph and design a papier-mache' sculpture that shows movement.
Curated OER
Simple Harmonic Motion
Students explain the theory of simple harmonic motion (SHM) by performing hands-on, practical application experiments.
Curated OER
Simple Harmonic Motion
Students study harmonic motion and its oscillation. In this simple harmonic motion lesson students demonstrate a series of regular oscillations and explain the theory behind the experiment.
Curated OER
Care to Canoe?
Students experience to balance with another student and maneuver in a two person canoe on still water. They analyze important aspects of canoeing including putting in, portaging and weight distribution. Students discuss the...
Curated OER
Erosion in Different Soils [Erosion Races]
Fourth graders review how erosion can happen by wind, water, and gravity which they studied in previous lesson. They attempt to discover if all soils erode at the same rate. In small groups, 4th graders experiment with three different...
Curated OER
What Makes a Kite Fly?
Ninth graders compare the nature of forces of gravity, lift, thrust, and drag. They select proper materials for making a kite and attach a proper tail. Students interpret and summarize the observations made during the flight of the kites.
Curated OER
F = Ma, Inertia, And Action-reaction
Fourth graders investigate Newton's Second and Third Laws of Motion. They determine what makes objects harder or easier to push. While investigating they determine how applying force in order balance out gravity allows things to stay...
Curated OER
What Goes Up Must Come Down!
Students hypothesize about the nature of falling objects, design an experimental test to answer the question using everyday objects, analyze data to form conclusions, and infer that mass does not affect the speed of falling objects. This...
Curated OER
Hurricanes
Students state and directly experience two laws of Physics (Law of Gravity, Law of Centrifugal Force) that affect weather. They explain the observations made when using the "hurricane machine" and relate them to other events and phenomenon.