Curated OER
How Do Airplanes Get Off the Ground
Students construct various types of paper airplanes, exploring action and reaction forces by conducting a paper airplane rodeo. Students then discuss how Newton's Third Law of Motion affected their planes.
Curated OER
Go Car, Go!
Students design and build their own car. In this physics lesson, students collect data to determine the speed of the car. They plot the data on the graph analyze the relationship between variables.
Curated OER
The Inertial Balance
Students weigh objects using a triple beam balance. In this mass lesson, students use an inertial balance made with a metal rod to measure and graph vibrations of varying numbers of pennies in a bucket. References and discussion prompts...
Physics Classroom
From a Feather to an Elephant
It is always a rush to drop objects from great heights, and with this physics experiment, class members will not be disappointed! They drop a single coffee filter from a balcony or table top, record the time it takes to reach the ground,...
Curated OER
Kites: Patang - The Indian Fighter Kite
Students investigate the history of fighter kites and build their own. In this aeronautics lesson, students discover how other countries utilize fighter kites and where they originated. Students create their own fighter kites in class...
Curated OER
Skateboard Science
Young scholars investigate how skaters can turn in midair. In this physics lesson, students relate Newton's Laws to skateboarding. They carry out the maneuver with the help of their classmate.
Curated OER
Vectors
Students are introduced to the bridge building challenge. They perform two labs and work in small groups to finish the vector worksheet. Students review vector additions. They then move onto the Forces on an Inclined Plane Lab. ...
Curated OER
Activity One Teacher Page: Vehicles In Motion
Students identify variables that affect the system, and specify which variables are independent and which are dependent.
Curated OER
Electricity and Magnets
For this physics review worksheet, students compare average and instantaneous speed, review Newton's laws, electricity, and magnets. This worksheet has 12 fill in the blank, 8 short answer questions, and 6 problems to solve.
Curated OER
Balsa Wood Airplane Flight and Speed Correlation
Ninth graders calculate the average speed of their balsa wood airplane. For this physics lesson, 9th graders build their own airplane and make necessary modifications to to make it fly straight. They interpret distance and time graph...
CK-12 Foundation
Hot Air Balloon
How can people control a hot air balloon? The simple simulation allows scholars to adjust the payload mass, burner, and vent position on a hot air balloon and observe the changes in velocity and altitude over time. Challenge questions...
CK-12 Foundation
Everglades Airboat
How does an airboat move when there isn't a motor in the water? The simulation teaches the forces related to the thrust and drag on an airboat. Scholars vary the boat mass and thrust force in order to view graphs of the changing force...
CK-12 Foundation
Elevator
Do you weigh slightly less when an elevator first starts its descent? The simulation teaches the change in the force based on the acceleration, constant speed, or deceleration of an elevator. Scholars control the mass and acceleration...
Curated OER
Slam On the Brakes!
Fifth graders study the concept of momentum and its application by Newton in his studies. They view a demonstration and complete an experiment with toy cars on a racetrack that shows them the properties of momentum and how velocity and...
CK-12 Foundation
Pirate Ship
Everything that happens is an interaction, from the wind blowing a sail to a cannon ball being thrust out of a cannon. A simulation shows the interactions involving a sail, air, ball, pirate, cannon, deck, ocean, and the Earth and the...
Urbana School District
Energy, Work, Simple Machines
The tension of the 236 strings in a grand piano exert a combined force of 20 tons on the cast iron frame. The presentation includes topics such as work, forms of energy, conservation of energy, gravitational and elastic potential energy,...
Curated OER
Paper Suspension Bridges: You Want Me To Go Up There?
A few class periods will be required to complete this physics investigation with your high schoolers. There is an unavailable video written into the lesson plan, but there is plenty of material here to bridge the gap. Two terrific...
CK-12 Foundation
Airplane
How does an airplane control its take off and descent? Scholars explore the forces acting on an airplane and control the angle of attack, wing profile, thrust, and airplane size. They learn about lift, drag, thrust, gravity, and the...
CK-12 Foundation
Horse and Cart
Can a horse pull more than its weight? A simple simulation answers this question and more. Pupils adjust the mass in a cart, the mass of the horse, the acceleration of the horse, and the angle of the tension rope between the horse and...
CK-12 Foundation
Bowling Alley
Sometimes it appears that a bowling ball slides down the alley rather than rolling, while other times it appears to switch rolling directions at some point. Scholars control the bowling ball size, initial rotation, initial speed, and...
Curated OER
Vectors
Learners describe motion by the use of adding vectors. They identify the difference between the x and y components of vector quantities. Students are given the Paper Bridge Building handout and the instructions as to where to perform...
Curated OER
The Science of Swinging
Students learn how a pendulum works in the concept of an amusement park ride. In this pendulum lesson, students are introduced to Newton's first law of motion and how it works in an amusement park ride. Continuous motion and inertia are...
Curated OER
Marble Run
Students use marbles to conduct experiments on movement of objects and explore Newton's three laws of motion. In this motion lesson plan, students use marbles, tubing, foam, paper cups, and more.
Curated OER
Learn to Build a Rocket in 5 Days
Students explore physics by participating in an engineering activity. In this rocket lesson, students define a list of scientific vocabulary terms such as "re-engineering" and "trade-off." Students identify the rocket creation process by...