Discovery Education
Jets in Flight
This Discovery Education activity provides the information needed to understand the basics of flight. Before taking off, young pilots learn the eight stages of the engineering design process. Small groups then design and build an...
NASA
Measuring Dark Energy
You're only 10 minutes late? Do you know how much the universe has expanded in those 10 minutes? Scholars graph supernovae based on their redshift and see if the results verify Hubble's Law. If it does confirm it, the universe is...
CK-12 Foundation
Cliff Diver
Cliff diving is more than an adrenaline rush ... it's a lesson in physics! Scholars adjust the height of a cliff and plot the resulting velocity and position over time on graphs. They also can incorporate air resistance to monitor the...
Curated OER
Velocity and Acceleration
Twelfth graders look at local speed limits and traffic controls and see if they are reasonable. They plot the displacement and time to represent velocity, develop a plan for improving the current system, and organize experimental...
Curated OER
Simple Machines on the Move
Third graders explore simple machines. For this simple machine lesson students experiment with motion and force. Students have hands on activities and resources are provided.
Curated OER
Newton Must have Been a Sports Fan
Students examine Newton's Laws. In this law of motion lesson, students observe Newton's three laws of physics demonstrated by the teacher. They apply other examples to Newton's first law of inertia.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Investigating Friction
Young learners explore friction. They view a video or DVD (bibliography provided) and define terms related to friction, and work in groups to experiment with the effects of friction on speed and motion using ramps and toy cars.
Curated OER
Prey or Pray? Could YOU Escape a Cheetah?
Tenth graders estimate the size of an adult cheetah by research and measurement of a picture. They determine the approximate distance and speed of the cheetah from a filmed chase and compare that to their own running speed.
Curated OER
Flicking With Force
Third graders are introduced to the concept of force and how it acts upon objects. In groups, they are given a ruler, ping-pong ball and golf ball and compare and contrast the force put on the balls when flicked by the ruler. To end...
Curated OER
Cannonball
Students calculate the speed, motion and distance of a projectile. In this geometry lesson, students obtain measurements while calculating velocity. They graph their results and make predictions.
Curated OER
Investigation 5 - Balloon Rockets
Third graders make a ballon rocket to study the relationship between the force applied to an object and the resulting motion.
Curated OER
Why Use Seat Belts?
Students explore reasons why using a seat belt is a safe choice while riding in a car. In this physics/safety instructional activity, students set up and observe a doll with and without a seat belt moving down a ramp in a dynamics cart....
Curated OER
2D Kinematics w/ String Racers
Students calculate the speed of string racers. In this physics lesson plan, students measure the time in several trials and get the average. They graph their results using a spreadsheet.
University of Wyoming
Free Fall…From SPACE!/Nanotechnology in the Classroom
Provide the details about Felix Baumgartner's sky jump from the far reaches of our atmosphere, 39,045 meters up! Then get your physics free fallers to evaluate the factors that played a role in his acceleration, the time to reach maximum...
NorthEast Ohio Geoscience Education Outreach
Density and Pressure of a Hot Air Balloon
Using a dry cleaner bag and a blow dryer, create a hot air balloon! The materials list suggests obtaining one dry cleaner bag per student, but since this is probably inconvenient, consider doing this as a demonstration during a lesson on...
Curated OER
Motion Musing
Students investigate graphing a line. In this algebra lesson, students collect data on the path of a skateboarder. They collect how fast the board is traveling along a straight line and graph their results.
Curated OER
Atlatl Lesson Grades 4-12
Tenth graders explore the weapons of the Aboriginal people. In this tenth grade mathematics instructional activity, 10th graders investigate how throwing with an atlatl increase the speed of the dart as it is thrown. Students calculate...
Curated OER
Forces and Motion
In this forces worksheet, students explain how a car's motion is affected by different forces. This worksheet has 3 short answer questions.
Curated OER
Emotions in Motion
Young scholars use dance as a form of communication. In this meanings of dance lesson, students create dances to communicate a variety of emotions.
Curated OER
Measuring the Speed of a Wave
Students create an experiment in which they measure the speed of a wave and record the data in a graph. They work in small groups to write the procedure for the experiment and share it with another group for cross checking of the...
Edmond Public Schools
8th Grade Science Resource Book: Unit 2 - Physics
Get things moving with this extensive collection of physical science resources. Covering the fundamentals of measurement, graphing, lab safety, and experimental design as well as the specific scientific concepts of velocity,...
Bowels Physics
Newton's First Law
Force acts on objects in mysterious ways ... until now! A comprehensive presentation explains the balance of forces acting on objects. Learners draw free body diagrams to show these invisible forces and make force calculations.
NTTI
Vectors: Traveling, But in What Direction
High schoolers watch a video of real-world situations regarding speed, direction, velocity, force, etc. and answer questions while viewing. They then practice drawing and using vectors to solve more real-world problems.
Curated OER
What A Feeling ... Just Dance!
Hopefully your students have had some introduction already to dance movement before you do this lesson. If they have, then giving them ribbons and instructing them to make up a little routine should be a fun activity. Encourage your...