Curated OER
Creating Magnetic Forces
Young scholars discover magnetic forces. In this magnetic experiment lesson, students explore magnetism. Young scholars conduct experiments and discover magnetic poles and magnetic strength.
Curated OER
Sitting on Nails-Boyle's Law
Students experience pressure as a force per unit area in this experiment with a board of nails. In this physics lesson, students discover Boyle's law as they perform experiments with pressure.
Curated OER
Simple Machines
Students explore the concepts of force and effort by observing simple machines. For this physics lesson, students attempt to sharpen a pencil without any help, bite into an orange with their lips curled over their teeth, and other...
Curated OER
Sinking and Floating
Students examine why some objects float or sink. In this physics lesson, students engage in several mini-experiments which challenge them to draw their own conclusions regarding why certain objects sink or float. An example of one...
Curated OER
Machines All Around Us
Students identify simple machines. In this physics lesson, students explore different rooms in the school building, looking for simple machines. Students use a digital camera to take pictures of the simple machines.
Centers for Ocean Sciences
Ocean and Great Lakes Literacy: Principle 1
Is your current lesson plan for salt and freshwater literacy leaving you high and dry? If so, dive into part one of a seven-part series that explores the physical features of Earth's salt and freshwater sources. Junior hydrologists...
Earth Day Network
Staying Green While Being Clean
Clean up the environment with a lesson that focuses on replacing hazardous cleaning supplies with green, environmentally-friendly products. Using a dirty patch of surface as a control area, kids clean other parts of various surfaces...
Curated OER
Soda Straw Rocket Activity
Students construct a rocket using soda straw. In this physics lesson, students determine the nose cone length that produces the best rocket. They explain the importance of using a control in an experiment.
Curated OER
Activity: Leaning Tower of Pasta
A well-laid-out lesson plan, this can be used in an engineering, STEM, or physical science course. Laboratory groups design a structure using pasta and marshmallows, measure its height and weight, and then discover the load that it can...
Curated OER
Levers and Pulleys
Seventeen pages of material leave you well-prepared to carry out this lesson on levers and pulleys. Photos and diagrams make the instructions clear; resource links provide additional information. The missing aspects of this teacher's...
Curated OER
Work and Power: Waterwheel
Pupils investigate a waterwheel and the physical properties of energy. In this waterwheel lesson students create a model waterwheel and calculate the amount of power produced.
Curated OER
"Stick to It!" Properties of Pressure Sensitive Adhesive Tapes
Students investigate the strength of different adhesives. In this physical science instructional activity, students compare the force needed to peel adhesive tapes from a surface. They analyze collected data and make a generalization.
Curated OER
Flight Physics
Students apply the knowledge of Bernoulli's Principle and construct simple aerodynamic designs. In this flight physics lesson, students explore the history of man's interest in flying and the forces influencing an object in flight by...
Curated OER
Principles of Physics: A Real Scream!
Students apply their knowledge of the physics principles of force, energy and motion to researching the physics behind amusement park rides.
Curated OER
Centrifugal Force and Mandy Sue Day
Fourth graders explore the story Mandy Sue Day and investigate centrifugal force. They demonstrate the concept of centrifugal force, use analytical thinking and they conduct an experiment using centrifugal force. Students discuss the...
Curated OER
Forces and Motion-The Downhill Racer
Students calculate a toy car's velocity and acceleration. For this force and motion lesson, students build ramps and attach a dropper to a toy car, which is released down the ramp. Students calculate and graph velocity and acceleration...
Curated OER
Physics on the Playground
Students investigate friction on a playground slide. In this force and energy lesson, students will predict, plan, and implement a scientific investigation to the problem; What materials will allow me to slide the fastest down a slide?
Curated OER
Physics Around the School: Simple Machines In and Out of the Classroom
Students explore different machines and the components that encompass the science of physics. In this physics lesson students explore how things move.
University of Texas
Free-Body Diagram
Preparing for an AP test is about more than bubble sheets and memorization. The two activities in this resource require a direct application of skills learned throughout an AP Physics course.
Curated OER
Fishy Physics
Students explore how fish are able to move easily from one depth to another in water. In this fish lesson students create their own balloon fish.
Curated OER
The Physics of the Planets: How 16th and 17th Century Physicist Helped Us Understand Our Solar System
Eighth graders draw the paths of the planets in the solar system. In this astronomy lesson, 8th graders calculate speed of objects using distance and time information. They research about the work of scientists in the 16th and 17th century.
Curated OER
Lessons from the Holocaust; Hitler's Germany
Students explore Nazi Germany by completing several worksheets. In this Adolf Hitler lesson, students identify Hitler's role in the holocaust, his role in the German community and his mindset. Students read the poem "The Hangman" by...
Curated OER
Motion, Force, and Gravity
Students write a research paper about human space travel. For this space travel lesson, students watch a video and research issues related to space travel. They use their research to write a paper about whether human space travel should...
Curated OER
Physics of Roller Coasters
Students study the physics used to design today's roller coasters. In this engineering lesson students complete several activities including designing their own roller coaster.