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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Balancing Act: Finding Your Center of Gravity

For Students 9th - 10th
Like to have the balance of a tightrope walker? Try the more close - to - the - ground balancing test in this easy experiment to learn a few trade secrets of the high wire experts. In this project, you'll find your center of gravity and...
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Why Winglets?

For Students 6th - 9th
Make a paper airplane and experiment with adding winglets to it to test its performance. The Science Buddies project ideas are set up consistently beginning with an abstract, objective, and introduction, followed by a section on terms,...
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Distance and Speed of Rolling Objects

For Students 9th - 10th
This project is an experiment in classical physics. You'll be following in Galileo's footsteps, and investigating Newton's laws of motion, but you'll be taking advantage of modern video recording technology to make your measurements. The...
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Parachutes: Does Size Matter?

For Students 4th - 8th
Experiment with different sizes of parachutes to find out if size matters when slowing the descent of the parachute. The Science Buddies project ideas are set up consistently beginning with an abstract, objective, and introduction,...
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Roller Coaster Marbles: How Much Height to Loop the Loop?

For Students 9th - 10th
This is a really fun project even if you don't like going on roller coasters yourself. You'll build a roller coaster track for marbles using foam pipe insulation and masking tape, and see how much of an initial drop is required to get...
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Converting Potential Energy to Kinetic Energy

For Students 9th - 10th
If you'd like to investigate the physics of amusement park rides, then this project is for you. You'll build a roller coaster track for marbles using foam pipe insulation and masking tape, and see how much the marble's potential energy...
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Tightening the Turns in Speed Skating

For Students 9th - 10th
Fast turns around the track can become your laboratory tests in these experiments, whether you skate on ice, wood, or pavement. The goal is to determine which type of turns are best in a race - tight, medium, or wide - and then to figure...
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Activity
Exploratorium

Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Physics/mechanics (Force and Motion)

For Students 9th - 10th
A collection of mechanics activities. Many pertain to Newton's laws of motion. Step-by-step directions provided with illustrations. Great for teacher demos or student projects.
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: How Does the Intensity of Light Change With Distance?

For Students 9th - 10th
How far would you have to travel so that the light of the full sun would provide "daylight" no brighter than twilight on Earth? This project describes a method to verify the inverse square law: how light, sound, electrical signals, and...
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Plants Are on the Move! A Study of Gravitropism

For Students 3rd - 5th
As we humans zip from place to place, we often forget to stop and smell the roses. Compared to our fast-paced lifestyle, plants seem rooted to the spot. Don't be deceived by appearances however, plants are on the move. This experiment...
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Building the Tallest Tower

For Students 3rd - 5th
Skyscrapers are impressive structures. What does it take to design a building so tall? Engineers use strong materials and innovative design to push the limits of gravity. In this experiment you will use LEGO components, rubber balls, and...
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: How Do Roots Grow When the Direction of Gravity Changes?

For Students 3rd - 8th
You might not know it, but plants are able to sense their environment and actually respond appropriately. One of the key parameters that every plant must respond to is the direction of gravity: stems go up (opposite to the pull of...
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: The Chills and Thrills of Roller Coaster Hills

For Students 6th - 8th
Lots of people enjoy roller coasters, but not many understand why they feel the strange excitement they do when riding them. In this science fair project, you will build and use an accelerometer to figure out and measure gravity-induced...
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Project Ideas: Popping an Ollie: Skateboards and Physics

For Students 3rd - 5th
In this science fair project, investigate the effect of speed on the distance and height of the skateboard trick the "ollie". The Science Buddies project ideas are set up consistently beginning with an abstract, objective, and...
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Under Pressure: Ball Bouncing Dynamics

For Students 6th - 8th
Many sports use a ball in some way or another. We throw them, dribble them, hit them, kick them, and they always bounce back. What makes a ball so bouncy? In this experiment you can investigate the effect of air pressure on ball bouncing.
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: What Goes Up, Must Come Down

For Students 3rd - 5th
Standing on a balcony near the top of the 179-foot tall Tower of Pisa, a young scientist dropped two iron balls into the crowd below. The scientist, young Galileo, was not trying to knock his fellow professors on the head, but was trying...
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Activity
Exploratorium

Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Take It From the Top

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students defy gravity by stacking blocks in different ways in this exercise. Other projects are linked to this lesson as well.
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Activity
Exploratorium

Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Falling Rhythm

For Students 9th - 10th
An engineering design process project for students to create a regular rhythm of beats by spacing weights along a string and then dropping the string.
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Website
NASA

Nasa Space Place: El Space Place

For Students 3rd - 8th
NASA's space science site for kids - en Espanol. Features a wide range of activities, including games, projects, animations, and more. Also contains useful information on basic physics, chemistry, and other natural sciences, offering...
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Handout
NASA

Nasa Space Science Data Archive: Galileo Project Information

For Students 9th - 10th
This is the homepage of all of the archived information about and from the Galileo Mission. Included is data from the flybys of Venus, Earth, Moon, and Asteroids Gaspra and Ida, as well as the current data from Jupiter and its moons. See...
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Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Mn Step: The Great Egg Drop: Relationship Between Gravity, Mass and Density

For Teachers 6th - 8th
An interesting experiment in the relationship between gravity, density, and mass. Students must devise a way to drop a milk carton containing two raw eggs off a roof 50 feet high, without breaking the eggs. They then write a scientific...
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: How Do Roots Grow When the Direction of Gravity Changes?

For Students 6th - 8th
To start this experiment, you should bring all of your materials together on a flat work surface. The surface might get a little wet, so have some paper towels handy.
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Activity
Exploratorium

Exploratorium: Snacks

For Students 5th - 9th
Exploratorium's snacks aren't edible, but they are good! Use your science skills to discover gravity, learn about biology, do fun experiments.
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Interactive
NC State University

Adventures of the Agronauts

For Students 3rd - 5th
Come along with the Agronauts and discover space in order to report back to Commander Spud Goodroot. Fun site provides all types of information about space science! Various missions include: 'What's In Our Sky?', 'The Root of the...