Teach Engineering
Maximum Mentos Fountain
A messy fountain is potentially an energy experiment in disguise. Groups investigate the variables in creating a fountain from soda and Mentos. The last activity in a six-part series on energy has the class observe the fountain in terms...
Teach Engineering
Making Moon Craters
Create an egg-citing study of energy. Pupils investigate the effect of height and mass on the overall amount of energy of a falling object. The fourth segment in a six-part series on energy uses a weighted egg falling from different...
Teach Engineering
Exploring Energy: Kinetic and Potential
The potential of the energy in the class is moving. The third segment in a six-part unit on energy provides a deeper understanding of kinetic and potential energy. Learners understand the relationship between mass, speed, and energy and...
Teach Engineering
Spool Racer Design and Competition
Wind it up and let it go. Individuals build a basic spool racer in the second portion of a six-part unit on energy. After receiving three criteria, pupils modify their designs to meet the new challenge. Pairs compete against each other...
PBS
Kinetic Sculpture
Build a sculpture that moves on its own; no power source required! The second installment of a five-part series has individuals create a sculpture that moves with the wind. It can't topple over though, so some type of support is necessary.
PBS
Rubber Band Car
Class, start your engines. Future engineers design a car with old CDs as wheels. The power source? Some rubber bands will do the trick! This is the first installment of a five-part series.
DiscoverE
Kicking Machine
Don't kick the resource to the curb; you'll definitely regret it. Future engineers devise a kicking machine that launches a ping-pong ball toward a target. They can use a pendulum, a rubber band, or both, depending on whether they want...
DiscoverE
Kinetic Sculpture
Let your creativity run wild. Scholars build a sculpture out of basic materials. These sculptures must be able to move in the wind (from an electric fan). However, they must also withstand the wind enough to not fall over—it's quite the...
DiscoverE
Slinky® Science
Toys are great for learning about physics. Scholars use Slinky® toys to study Newton's laws of motion and types of energy. After a little play, they then model longitudinal and transverse waves with the Slinky® toys.
DiscoverE
Rubber Band Rovers
Get your learners interested in space exploration. Groups design space rovers using design software and then build prototypes of their designs. The farther the rovers can travel, the better. The catch? The rovers must be powered by...
Colorado State University
What Is Energy?
Don't let the energy of your classroom falter! Explore the scientific definition of energy through play. A hands-on lesson focuses on the change of energy from one form to another.
DiscoverE
Touch Down
Protect the marshmallows! Groups create contraptions that will keep marshmallows in a cup, even after dropping them from a certain height. This is a fun way to model the shock-absorbing capabilities of spacecraft.
DiscoverE
Extreme Trampolines
You'll bounce off the walls with glee after finding a fun resource. Young engineers design trampolines for golf balls. They build and test out their design and make improvements based on the results.
Concord Consortium
Collisions and Kinetic Energy
Can your physical science classes describe what happens when two objects collide? Whether they are new to the study of kinetic energy or just brushing up on their skills, pupils can observe the outcome of a variety of collisions using a...
Concord Consortium
Energy of a Spring
Spring has sprung! Young physicists explore the properties of springs with a simple simulator. Users control the initial position of the spring, then observe the potential, kinetic, and thermal energies in the system.
University of Texas
Lives of Stars
Stars exist from a few million years to over 10 billion years, depending on their mass. Scholars perform a play acting as stars to learn about their different life cycles. They develop an understanding of many of the fundamental concepts...
Cornell University
Friction
Friction and gravity are always at odds! Learners complete a set of activities to explore the relationship between friction and gravity. Groups make conclusions about the factors that affect the amount and type of friction between surfaces.
Cornell University
Catapult
Studying levers couldn't be more exciting! Learners build their own catapults and test the results as they make adjustments to the fulcrum. They compete against other groups to create the most accurate apparatus.
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.
Concord Consortium
Energy of a Pendulum
Just a swingin'! Introduce physical science scholars to the energy forms associated with a pendulum using a simple interactive. Learners adjust the height from which the pendulum starts, then observe changes in potential, kinetic, and...
Concord Consortium
Pendulum and Spring
Up, down, back, and forth. When you make a pendulum out of a spring, there's a lot to observe. Aspiring masters of motion examine the combined kinetic energies of spring and pendulum motion using a detailed interactive. Learners observe...
Concord Consortium
Chain Reaction Between Hydrogen and Oxygen
Looking for a simple way to teach conservation of energy in chemical reactions? Pupils can observe energy changes as water forms during a chain reaction between oxygen and hydrogen using an interactive. The resource instructs users to...
Concord Consortium
Phase Change
Energize your phase change lesson plans! Add a short but focused interactive into the mix and watch as pupils experience how states of matter react to changes in kinetic energy. The resource tracks the kinetic energy of a cold solid...
Concord Consortium
Gas Molecules in Motion
Get moving! Science scholars observe the effects of temperature on kinetic energy in an impactful interactive. Individuals control a sliding temperature switch and observe the motion of gas particles that results from the change.