Curated OER
Work and Energy
The first activity may not work for your class if you don't have access to an open area of 30 meters and two cars of different masses, but the remaining activities can be used in any physics course. They all involve the investigation of...
Curated OER
Inertial Mass, Weight, and Newton's Second Law of Motion
The stage is set for you to guide future physicists through three forceful activities about motion. In the first, learners experiment with rolling carts to discover how objects interact. In the second, they inspect images of an object in...
Curated OER
Newton's First Law Crash!!
Students examine Newton's first law of motion and demonstrate how it applies to cars. In this motion lesson students complete an experiment and worksheet on speed and inertia.
PHET
Forces and Motion: Basics
How is tug of war related to pushing a refrigerator? Here's a simulation connects these two activities with Newton's First Law of Motion. Four different simulations allow scholars to explore net force with tug of war, motion with pushing...
LABScI
Harmonic Motion: Pendulum Lab
Several times throughout history, groups of soldiers marching in rhythm across a suspension bridge have caused it to collapse. Scholars experiment with pendulums, resonance, and force to determine why this would happen. First, pupils...
Edmond Public Schools
8th Grade Science Resource Book: Unit 2 - Physics
Get things moving with this extensive collection of physical science resources. Covering the fundamentals of measurement, graphing, lab safety, and experimental design as well as the specific scientific concepts of velocity,...
LABScI
Viscosity: The Fluid Lab
There's more to fluids than meet the eye—they include gases, liquids, and polymers, too! Scholars complete three hands-on activities exploring different properties of fluids. They explore viscosity by measuring the resistance, or...
New York City Department of Education
Straw Rockets
Scholars become rocket scientists as they take off on a journey exploring Newton's laws of motion. After learning the laws of motion, pupils design their own investigations using straw rockets. They highlight their literacy skills in a...
Rice University
College Physics for AP® Courses
Take a look at an organized physics course. The 34-section electronic textbook covers material in AP® Physics 1 and 2. Teachers use the text to supplement lectures and have the class work through the labs. Each section contains multiple...
Kenan Fellows
The Newton Challenge
Make Newton proud. Scholars apply their understanding of forces and energy to an engineering design challenge. They learn about simple machines, create a presentation on Newton's laws, and develop a balloon-powered car.
University of Florida
Understanding Car Crashes: It's Basic Physics!
Make an impact on young physicists with this fun collection of resources. After first watching a video and taking notes on the physics of car crashes, students go on to complete a series of activities that explore the concepts of energy,...
Curated OER
Newton's Laws of Motion
In this physics worksheet, students examine Newton's Laws of Motion by completing 4 different mini labs and answering follow-up questions for each lab.
Curated OER
Newton's Laws
Students give examples of each of Newton's three laws as they occur in everyday experiences. They visually represent and differentiate the difference between a direct proportion and an inverse proportion. Students explain how the...
Curated OER
Impulse, Momentum, and the Conservation of Momentum
What happens when two worlds collide? In the first of several activities, future physicists experiment with colliding ball bearings or Newton's cradle. Another activity requires the use of an air track with cars to examine collision....
Curated OER
Laboratory: Micro Rockets
If you know how to employ the exothermic reaction between hydrogen gas and oxygen gas to make a miniature rocket, then this worksheet is a fabulous lab sheet for your chemistry charges. First, they observe a spark in pure oxygen and one...
Curated OER
Circuit Diagrams: Switching Circuits
Use a lab sheet on circuit diagrams in your electricity unit. Fifth graders draw two series circuits with diagrams, based on two examples. A science experiment prompts learners to use 3x5 cards to illustrate the way a series circuit works.
Curated OER
Investigating Motion
Students explore types of motion. In this motion experiment, students observe how objects move. Students work in small groups to discover the laws of motion.
Curated OER
Applied Science - Built Environment (6) Lab
Sixth graders look at toys in space. In this gravity lesson, 6th graders make predictions about what different toys will do with zero gravity. They watch a space video and see what happens to these toys in space.
Curated OER
Projectile Motion
Twelfth graders experiment with a projectile that is launched horizontally after a demonstration and small discussion about two pennies, one dropping from a table top and the other being slide off the top and hitting the ground at about...
Curated OER
Go Car, Go!
Learners 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
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
Activity Two Teacher Page: Explosions
High schoolers identify variables that affect the system, and specify which variables are independent and which are dependent.
Curated OER
Balloons
Learners explore the different types of balloons. In this materials lesson students can complete several experiments including building their own hot air balloons, making balloon animals and experimenting with static electricity.