Exploratorium
Balancing Stick
Have some physical science fun when studying the center of gravity or center of mass. Simply have balancing artists stand a dowel on one finger and keep it from falling over! A lump of clay is added and moved up along the dowel over a...
Mixing In Math
Mixing in Math: Growing Plants
Whether you have your class plant seeds or begin when sprouts are visible, math skills are used here to predict and track growth over time. Straw bar graphs show plant height on a given day while the graph as a whole shows changes over...
Curated OER
GET THE POINT!
The student will measure the width of the horns on drawings of longhorn cattle and then convert the measurements from inches to centimeters and from inches to feet.1. Review with students the steps required to measure an item and to...
Exploratorium
Groovy Sounds
Make music. Class members construct a simple record player using a paper cone and a pin. The resource provides a description of what is happening and why listeners can hear the sounds through the cone.
Curated OER
Get the Point!
First graders, after reading about cattle drives, measure the width of the horns on drawings of longhorn cattle and then convert the measurements from inches to centimeters and from inches to feet. Ranching and the American cattle...
Curated OER
Hand Span and Height
Is there a relationship between hand span width and height? Statisticians survey each other by taking measurements of both. A table that can hold data for 24 individuals is printed onto the worksheet, along with questions for analysis....
Curated OER
Water Olympics
A fascinating and engaging lesson on the properties of water awaits you. In it, learners engage in four activities that are designed to teach about the properties of water. This exciting plan has worksheets embedded in it which make the...
Curated OER
Measurement
Fourth graders explore perimeters. In this measurement lesson, 4th graders examine example problems that highlight how to calculate the perimeters of rectangles in inches and centimeters. Students also practice solving problems that...
Star Date
Build Your Own Galaxy
Don't just look at pictures of the Milky Way galaxy, build it with this hands-on activity in which scientists recreate the galaxy we live in.
EngageNY
Getting the Job Done—Speed, Work, and Measurement Units
How do you convert from one measurement to another? Pupils use unit rates to convert measurements from one unit to another in the 21st segment in a 29-part series. They convert within the same system to solve length, capacity, weight,...
Exploratorium
Whack-a-Stack
Go wild as you hit a stack of wooden blocks to demonstrate Newton's first and second laws of motion. The blocks at the top of the stack stay put as you knock one at a time out of the bottom. Note, however, that you will need to visit a...
Mr. E. Science
Motion
An informative presentation covers motion, metric system, conversions, graphing of coordinates and lines, speed, velocity, and acceleration problems, as well as mean calculations. This is the first lesson in a 26-part series.
Curated OER
Height and Weight
Third graders explore their height and weight. They measure the heights and weights of their peers. Students record their data using an Excel spreadsheet. They create a graph to compare the data and analyze it for a correlation between...
Curated OER
Everyday Measurements
In this measuring length worksheet, students find the items illustrated in the classroom and measure their lengths to the nearest inch and centimeter. Students then use the measurements to solve the two word problems.
Curated OER
Complete the Unit Conversions
In this measurements worksheet, students review the conversion chart for feet to inches, yard to feet, centimeter to millimeter, meter to centimeters, and kilometer to meters. Students then convert 20 measurements.
Curated OER
Let's Graph It!
Students graph the height of others in centimeters and inches, find the slope of line in order to calculate the conversion factor between centimeters and inches.
Curated OER
"Use an Anemometer," said the Meteorologist
Students participate in an hands-on construction of an instrument to measure wind speed.
Exploratorium
Resonator
Construct a demonstration apparatus for your lesson on resonance. Instructions are provided here to assemble dowels and balls into swinging objects that have different frequencies. It is a neat visual to include during your lecture if...
Curated OER
Exploring Height with Abe Lincoln
Young scholars examine a life-size count out of Abraham Lincoln to get a visual comparison of their height and Lincoln's. They work in pairs and trace each other's body and measure from head to toe in inches using a ruler. They then...
Center for Math and Science Education
Solar System Launch
Trying to understand the vastness of outer space can be quite a challenge for young scientists. Help put things in perspective with this cross-curricular activity as students work in pairs creating scaled models of the solar system,...
Curated OER
Math Activity File
Third graders describe the difference between area and volume and also explain how various units of measure relate to one another.
PBS
Robo Arm
Future engineers create robotic arms like those on rovers built by NASA in the second lesson of the series. They test their devices by attempting to pick up and move cups to a specified location.
101 Questions
Retina Display
Learners calculate the pixel density of a specific cell phone using the concept of similarity. They use information from the cell phone's website to make their calculations and then compare their results to the posted information.
Curated OER
Practice Using a Ruler
In this using a ruler instructional activity, students utilize a ruler to measure the length of four objects and then choose four small objects from their desk to outline and measure.