Florida International University
Simulating Microgravity with Buoyancy
How do astronauts know how to live and work in a weightless environment? It doesn't come naturally! Junior physicists conduct experiments to examine the link between buoyancy and microgravity. Each activity illustrates a different aspect...
NASA
Cleaning Water
Give young scientists a new appreciation of fresh, clean drinking water. After learning about the ways astronauts recycle their air and water, your class will work in small groups creating and testing their very own water filtration...
Exploratorium
Balancing Ball
Demonstrate lift to the class that is studying aerodynamics. In the stream of air produced by a blow dryer, little physicists place a wad of tissue paper and a spherical figure to compare. Or, if you have a vacuum cleaner and beach ball,...
Curated OER
Barometer and Boiling Points
Diagrams bring barometers to light in this PowerPoint. Several slides explain the structure and function of this apparatus. The relationship of air pressure to the processes of evaporation and boiling are also explained. This would be an...
National Park Service
Fire Ecology on the Rim
An engaging unit on wildfires includes three sections, including a background section with eight lessons and five activities, a field experience section with 13 lessons and five activities, and a conclusion section featuring an analysis...
Google
Erosion?
What's the difference between wind erosion and water erosion? Perform an experiment to study the effects of air on soil, as well as water and soil, and how effective it can be to place rocks on the soil.
NASA
The Big Climate Change Experiment Lesson 4: Weather Versus Climate
Decide whether to learn about weather. An illuminating lesson has scholars first watch video clips and discuss the difference between weather and climate. Using their newfound knowledge, they create analogies to illustrate this...
Curated OER
Air Is there
Learners experiment to observe air and its mass. In this air lesson, students use the scientific method to complete experiments that demonstrate the properties of air. Learners view a video as follow-up.
Curated OER
Sucking Students into an Understanding of Air Pressure and Vacuums
Students develop and test their ideas about air pressure and vacuums by conducting several investigations into the movement of fluids in tubes.
Curated OER
Hot Air Balloon Design Lesson Plan
Sixth graders discuss what they know and what they want to know about hot air balloon using a KWL chart. They then use a wide array of materials to design a hot air balloon that will lift successfully in cooperative groups referring to...
Curated OER
What's Air Got to Do with It?
Young scholars use M&M's to create a pie graph that expresses their understanding of the composition of air. They watch and conduct several simple experiments to develop an understanding of the properties of air (it has mass, it...
Curated OER
Air Pressure
Students perform experiments that demonstrate the characteristics of air pressure. In this physics lesson, students participate and observe experiments using simple household items. The results of these experiments are used to help the...
Curated OER
Cleaning Air with Balloons
Young scholars examine how a pollutant recovery method functions in cleaning industrial air pollution. They listen to a teacher-led discussion, conduct an experiment with balloons, static electricity, and pepper, and observe and record...
Curated OER
Understanding Air Pressure
Fifth graders complete experiments with air to understand that air takes up space, has mass, and that air pressure can be changed. In this air pressure lesson, 5th graders test the air pressure by using balloons, syringes, and water to...
Curated OER
Pollution in the Air and the Water Pollution Solution
Students explore air pollution. In this ecology and air pollution instructional activity, students perform an experiment in which a Vaseline coated lid is placed inside and outside the classroom. Students make predictions and then record...
Curated OER
Turning the Air Upside Down
Students analyze how engineers study temperature inversions and convection currents to understand why pollution levels may be higher in some areas than others. They participate in an experiment that allows them to build simple models to...
Curated OER
Warm Air versus Cold Air
Students discover that warm air takes up more space than cold air. In this science lesson plan, students perform 4 experiments using balloons to determine that the molecules of warm air are more spread out than those of cold air.
Curated OER
The Properties of Air
First graders draw conclusions about the properties of air. In this properties of air lesson, the teacher demonstrates several properties of air and guides students through discovering that air is colorless, tasteless, odorless, exerts...
Curated OER
Air Pressure
Students examine air pressure. In this air pressure instructional activity, students perform a series of experiments to evaluate the effects of air pressure.
Curated OER
Where, Oh Where is All the Clean Air?
Middle schoolers examine the history of air pollution dating back to the Roman Empire. In groups, they research the different types of pollutants in the air and how they can affect the environment. They participate in various...
Curated OER
There's Air in There!
Students attempt to blow a wad of paper into a soda bottle. In this physics lesson, students discover that air pressure inside of a soda bottle prevents new air from going in.
Curated OER
Hot Air Balloons
Students examine how a hot air balloon works. In this hot air balloon lesson, students do an experiment to test the effects of heat on density. Students make their own hot air balloon and act out how nitrogen moves when turned to a liquid.
American Chemical Society
Exploring Moisture on the Outside of a Cold Cup: For Dry Environments
If the area you live in is arid, or the preceding experiment in this unit didn't yield obvious results, use this one in place of it to help reveal where condensation comes from. The mini unit that this is part of a comprehensive...
American Chemical Society
Changing State: Condensation
When you have a cold drink and you notice the water forming on the outside, it is literally pulling the water from the surrounding air to form the condensation. After watching a demonstration of condensation forming on a glass,...