Curated OER
Motion, Forces, Energy and Electricity
What a wonderful way to explore motion and forces! Learners design a catapult, after watching a video and discussing types of catapults. This is a comprehensive and complete lesson with links to supplementary resources.
Bowels Physics
Newton's First Law
Force acts on objects in mysterious ways ... until now! A comprehensive presentation explains the balance of forces acting on objects. Learners draw free body diagrams to show these invisible forces and make force calculations.
Cornell University
Catapults
Ready, aim, fire! Launch to a new level of understanding as scholars build and test their own catapults. Learners explore lever design and how adjusting the fulcrum changes the outcome.
Curated OER
Gravity, Forces, and Inertia
Students participate in assessments involving gravity, forces, and inertia. They select from a menu of options assessments they would like to complete including worksheets, drawing posters, watching videos, creating crossword puzzles,...
Curated OER
Newton's Laws of Motion
Ninth graders utilize Newton's Laws of Motion to explain how things move, create poster illustrating each law of motion, and present and explain their poster to classmates.
Curated OER
Big Air Rules
Students discuss projectile motion using a basketball player taking off for a slam dunk, a fly ball launched off a hitter's bat, and a snowboarder flying off a pipe as examples. The lesson is expanded by introducing the mathematical...
Curated OER
Building a Roller Coaster
Students describe the law of conservation of energy. They identify the conversion between potential and kinetic energy. They investigate and describe the application of Newton's Laws of Motion.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Energy and Work Amusement Park Style
Students distinguish between kinetic and potential energy. They recognize that energy can change from one form to other forms. They identify and describe several forms of energy.
Curated OER
Hit and Run
Pupils explore data collection in this lesson. They investigate distance vs. time and velocity vs. time graphs using information collected with a CBR 2 to simulate the reconstruction of an accident.
Curated OER
Galileo: His Times & Beliefs
Students study Galileo and his scientific discoveries. They complete a series of experiments/model constructions, using 17th century equipment and procedures, to "recreate," demonstrate and explore the various discoveries of Galileo.
Curated OER
Circular Motion: Target Practice
Students demonstrate direction of velocity of an object in circular motion. They discuss the mathematical formula, and demonstrate the formula using a string, rubber stopper and a target.
Curated OER
Vector Manipulation Unit
Students are introduced to the concept/idea of a vector, what it represents and why they are used. They develop an understanding of what vectors are, how and why they are used.
Curated OER
Intro to 1D Kinematics with Physlets
Twelfth graders examine illustrations and animations on a Physlets CD in which they must describe motion, analyze graphs, and calculate initial velocity. The Physlet assists in providing active class participation in discussion.
Curated OER
Motion Through the Ages
Eighth graders conduct internet research to produce a timeline of man's growth in understanding of concepts of motion and planetary motion through history.
Curated OER
Simple Machines make work easier.
Learners examine how simple machine work can make work easier. In this machines activity students complete an activity that shows them what makes up a machine, and how to measure displacement and velocity.
Curated OER
May The Fastest Toy Win
Middle schoolers determine which wind-up toy is the fastest. However, they can NOT race the toys. They must find another way. On the first day of the activity, students work in pairs or small groups to develop and write a plan.
Curated OER
Engineering in a Calculus Classroom
Students solve several differential equations. In this calculus lesson, students test their modulus calculation by testing different weights or beam lengths. They share their findings in class.