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Blast Off
In this physical science exploration, small groups place a piece of antacid tablet into a film canister and step back to time how long it takes for the top to pop. They repeat the activity, altering either the amount or temperature of...
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Balance Activities
Young scholars, through group and individual activities, study and experiment with the concept of balance. They attempt balancing tasks at different levels of difficulty and in different body positions. They work to improve their balance.
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Health Related Fitness Portfolio
Learners develop and implement a fitness station. Students base their exercise stations upon flexibility, muscular strength, and endurance. They complete a health related fitness portfolio. Learners design and take a fitness survey.
Acoustical Society of America
Anatomy of a Wave
Pair physical science learners up, and have one describe a transverse wave while the other blindly attempts to draw it. Then reveal an actual diagram and explain the different parts of the wave: crest, trough, wavelength. Though most of...
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Compass Reading
Here's a basic lesson on reading a compass. Learn the names of the parts of a compass. Learn how to read a bearing in degrees. Then go outside and follow a course of cones set up on the grass or in a clear area. Starting at one cone,...
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Properties and Perfectly Polymeric Sodas
Pupils examine physical and chemical properties of plastics, interfaces of plastics, and forms of plastics. In three lab activities, students discover the two characteristic responses of plastics to heating, thermoplastic or thermosetting.
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Cone Baseball
Learners practice fielding and hitting skills. Using different size balls, students play t-ball. They practice hitting the ball where partners are not standing Learners work together to get the batter out.
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Design Challenge: Cup in the Cupboard
Students design device that will place a cup into a cupboard for a physically challenged person. They study the engineering design and how structure relates to function.
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Series or Parallel?
Physics classes that are studying electricity connect photovoltaic cells into both series and parallel circuits. Inquiry and critical thinking come into play as learners try to determine which circuit is more productive. They associate...
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Work and Power: Waterwheel
Students investigate a waterwheel and the physical properties of energy. For this waterwheel lesson students create a model waterwheel and calculate the amount of power produced.
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Centripetal Force
In order to investigate cetntripetal force and angular momentum, youngsters compare the motion of erasers hung from a string. It is not clear what type of Amish toy is needed in the warm up activity, so you may not be able to use it. The...
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Life on the Moon
Students study the physical properties of the Moon. In this life on the moon lesson students describe the ways life on the Moon would be different than on Earth.
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Pick a Pet
Students design informational materials to educate people on the importance of matching a new pet to the family's lifestyle and living arrangements. Students use critical thinking skills to make a decision on the appropriate choice for a...
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Soil Investigations
Learners examine the basics about soil. In this soil lesson students describe the physical properties of soil and explain what soil profile is.
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Earn a Quarter of a Million Dollars in Sports and Never Play a Game!
Students research and list various sports related careers. Students select a career and prepare a five- slide presentation highlighting that career.
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Good Food Explorers
Students use different food items in order to practice the mathematical concept of shape recognition. At the same time the teacher explains how crops are a source of physical health. They use all five senses to describe each food item...
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How Photocells Work
Give small groups of physical scientists tokens that represent electrons in a photovoltaic cell. They play a dice game in which they move the tokens around, representing the flow of electrons through the p-n junction of a semiconductor...
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Bicycle Wheel Gyro
Using a bicycle wheel and a rotating stool, young physicists experiment with angular momentum. This is a simple, fun, and educational activity that demonstrates a foundational concept. If you can secure the materials, it is definitely...
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Interplanetary Travel Guide
In groups of six, middle school space scientists create an imaginative travel brochure for attracting visitors to the planet Mars. Information must include surface features and atmospheric conditions. Although time-consuming, this is a...
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Creating New Forms of Life
Although not particularly educational, here is a creative group activity in which high school biologists will use their imaginations to create a new life form combining characteristics from existing life forms. Each group must come up...
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Sound Vocabulary
Enhance your unit on sound waves with this word scramble. Fifteen terms are available for physics learners to unscramble. Have them write the definition for each as homework.
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Best Practices
Students are encouraged to do their best on the mile run portion of the fitness test. They also gain knowledge about fitness in other academic areas of the school too. In science, the class records resting pulse rates, in math, charts...
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Marshland Ecosystem
Students classify animals based on their physical characteristics and eating habits. In this animal identification lesson plan, students investigate the life forms shown on a Parisian ceramic basin, and discover ecosystem the artist was...
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Properties of Matter
Third graders explore forms of matter through reading, hands-on science activities, and research using the Internet. Students create a booklet, directions given, that they title and decorate, to later serve as a review visualization...