Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: The Great Gravity Escape

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students use water balloons and a length of string to understand how gravity and the velocity of a spacecraft balance to form an orbit. They see that when the velocity becomes too great for gravity to hold onto an object, the object...
Interactive
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Physics Simulation: Dungeon Simulation

For Students 6th - 9th
Experiment with changing velocity to help Tommy escape the dungeon.
Handout
Georgia State University

Georgia State University: Hyper Physics: Gravitational Potential Energy

For Students 11th - 12th
This site defines and explains the concept of gravitational potential energy. Uses many equations and graphics to illustrate the idea. Provides an online computational practice set with immediate feedback.
Handout
Georgia State University

Georgia State University: Hyper Physics: Elastic Potential Energy

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from Georgia State University Physics Department defines elastic potential energy and explains its origin. Provides an equation for computing elastic potential energy and an opportunity to practice solving problems with an...
Online Course
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Mit: Open Course Ware: Courses: Physics: Classical Mechanics

For Teachers 9th - 10th
College-level online course highlighting the study of classical mechanics. This course focuses on Newtonian mechanics, fluid mechanics, and kinetic gas theory. Course features include a 35 video lecture series by Walter Lewin. Also link...
Unit Plan
Georgia Department of Education

Ga Virtual Learning: Ap Physics 1: Gravity

For Students 9th - 10th
Combined with aspects of circular motion, students discover that Kepler's third law follows directly from the law of universal gravitation. This unit will expand upon the conservation of energy principle for problems beyond the confines...
Interactive
Concord Consortium

Concord Consortium: Stem Resources: Launching a Satellite

For Students 6th - 8th
Do you think you could fire an "unpowered" object into orbit? By controlling the angle and speed at which the satellite is launch, students will try to launch a satellite into space with this computer model. Activity includes questions...
Handout
Wikimedia

Wikipedia: The Black Hole

For Students 9th - 10th
This site examines the black hole as an object in astrophysics. Delve into this comprehensive resource that covers this concept from its history, to qualitative physics, the reality of black holes, mathematical physics and more.
Activity
PBS

Newton's Apple: Black Holes

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from Twin Cities Public Television contains great information from a program called "Newton's Apple" concerning black holes. Contains activities for viewers to try to emphasize points related to black holes. Topics include:...
eBook
NASA

Nasa: Kepler's Second Law

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from NASA states Kepler's second law of planetary motion and depicts its meaning with an informative diagram. Relates the law to conservation of energy principles and discusses the eccentricity of a satellite's (or a planet's)...
Website
MadSci Network

The Mad Scientist Network: Bouncing Rubber Ball

For Students 9th - 10th
A question and answer format is used to relate elastic potential energy to the bounce of a rubber ball. Explanation of this simple phenomenon is thorough, complete, and free of trite statements.
eBook
NASA

Nasa: The Rocket Motor

For Students 9th - 10th
An online version of a book pertaining to task of launching rockets into space and subsequently navigating them through space. The first several "chapters" (pages) describe the influence of gravity on Earth and the barriers which it...