Get the ball rolling with this upper-elementary science unit on forces and motion. Offering over three weeks of physical science lessons, this resource is a great way to engage the class in learning about simple machines, friction,...

Three, two, one, blast off to a better understanding of force and motion with this exciting science lesson! Beginning with a discussion about rockets and gravity, young scientists go on to complete a series of worksheets about net...

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...

Eighth graders distinguish between and apply Newton's Laws. They take a quiz reviewing Kinetic and Potential Energy. Students explain that they have just demonstrated Newton's three laws of motion. They also explain what forces are...

Young scholars design a roller coaster that allows a marble to run the course as fast as possible. Students create an experimental roller coaster taking into account the steepness of the hills and the sharpness of the turns. Young...

Students conduct and observe experiments in Newtonian mechanics, kinematics, and projectile motion. They analyze the motion of a ball rolling off a table, falling, and then bouncing. Students answer a series of questions analyzing the...

Students investigate the effects of weights on the motion of a toy car. In this force and acceleration lesson plan, students use different weights, a toy car, a paper clip and string to determine how a car will move as different weights...

Aspiring aeronautical engineers demonstrate different forces as they construct and test paper airplanes. This lesson plan links you to a website that models the most effective paper airplane design, an animation describing the forces...

Students investigate speed as an important variable regarding force of an impact. Students roll a car down a ramp and into a block of wood. The distance the car travels, the time until impact and the distance the block moves are...

Seventeen pages of material leave you well-prepared to carry out this lesson on levers and pulleys. Photos and diagrams make the instructions clear; resource links provide additional information. The missing aspects of this teacher's...

Students predict if the height of a ramp affect how far an object travels. They design and conduct an experiment to test their predictions. The results are recorded and a graph is created to show the relationship between ramp height and...

Students observe and analyze weathering. In this earth science lesson, students demonstrate physical and chemical weathering in two experiments, then write questions for a class Jeopardy game.

Students build a pendulum type swinging apparatus and make specific and selective observations using what they know about scientific observations. They look for regularities of movement, patterns, and systemic changes over time.

Third graders will gain recognition that physical relationships affect each other and that change occurs when one object acts upon another.The teacher will recognize ways in which technology can be used to enhance the understanding of...

Study explore the motion of maple seeds and design experiments to explain their spinning flight patterns. They make observations, explain ideas of motion, use models, analyze previous reports and experiments, identify relevant factors...

Students explain what inertia is in their own words. In this physics lesson, students investigate how Newton's first law applies to their robot. They discuss real world examples of the 1st law.

Students discover that one way to change how something is moving is to give it a push or a pull. They design their own boats and work with 'The Great Boat Push' worksheet to compare how their boats move when they are pushed or pulled and...

Eighth graders create rockets that be launched at varying angles to determine which angle is best to launch at for the longest distance.

Students explore the changing density of water. For this physics lesson, students investigate how an object's density determines whether it will float or sink in water. They explain why this unique property of is important to living things.

Students collect data and describe how and why the high and low tides change from day to day.  In exploring tides lesson students study tides by taking notes, recording data and analyzing their findings. 

Students investigate the relationship between force and momentum using motion detectors and sensors. In this physics instructional activity, students graph experimental results. They calculate impulse using the area under the graph.

Were it not for Sir Newton, our understanding of physics and matters of the world would be drastically different. Present your class with detailed information of Newton's Second Law as they explore the concepts of mass and acceleration....

Students creat a ramp using cardboard and tape. They follow directions to perform an experiment to determine the degree of tilt needed to cause an empty milk carton to tip over. Students discuss their results in terms of center of gravity.

Second graders classify objects and create hypotheses regarding their magnetic properties. They watch a video about magnets and finally use a magnet to test their hypotheses created earlier.