Students create a car using physics. In this forces and motion lesson, students create a car and test which changes in design change the performance of the car. Students complete a graphic organizer with the different changes...

Get things moving with this elementary science unit on simple machines. Through a series of nine lessons including teacher demonstrations, hands-on activities, and science experiments, young scientists learn about forces, motion,...

Students view a video and complete experiments with force and motion.  In this force and motion instructional activity, students examine small pieces and how they affect the motion of a toy car.  Students also experiment with...

Fourth graders study straight line motion and the forces that affect motion, including the terms force, gravity, and speed. They determine that gravity, weight, and other forces have an effect on speed and motion.

Second graders are introduced to different types of motion. They make rolling spider toys and race them on different surfaces to invsetigate forces and motion. Pupils make glue "spider webs" for their spiders after testing different...

Fourth graders identify six simple machines in real world examples, distinguish between the three different types of levers and explain Newton's three laws of motion. They create a multimedia presentation over the information they've...

Students discover that different things move at different speeds. They compare the distance a car travels on a ramp with and without a push. They push the car with one finger the first time, let it move without a push the next time (no...

Young scholars experiment with a steel ball and matchbox car to find the effects of force and motion. In this force and motion lesson, students assemble a track, conduct experiments and record on a shoot the loop worksheet. Young...

Students focus on a force and motion problem, explore it, reflect on it and apply it while completing experiments.  In this motion lesson, students experiment with force and motion by creating a track for testing cars.  

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...

Students create an Alka-Seltzer cannon in this instructional activity. They explore the difference between balanced and unbalanced forces, and how unbalanced forces can cause motion. They then examine how a cannon works and create their...

Students are introduced to the concept of circular motion. In groups, they participate in experiments to discover the law of inertia. They describe how forces act on objects during a circular motion. To end the lesson, they use these...

Students explore the drawings of Rube Goldberg to design and construct a simple machine. They discuss simple machines, and using various materials and toy parts, design and construct a "Rube Goldberg" style machine to ring a bell.

Young engineers consider how to apply accelerometers and sensors to help prevent falls in elderly people. They consider forces of motion and gravity as part of the engineering design process.

A nine-page physics resource supports your lesson plan on acceleration. A step-by-step lesson plan walks you through the materials you need, the background information, steps for leading experimentation, and the explanation of the...

Young scholars explore the concepts of force and effort by observing simple machines. In this physics lesson, students attempt to sharpen a pencil without any help, bite into an orange with their lips curled over their teeth, and other...

Students experiment with Newton's Third Law of Motion. In this physics and motion activity, students complete two experiments to illustrate force and its equal and opposite reaction. Students first work in pairs to exert an equal force...

Why was Sir Newton so important to the field of science? Pupils discuss his contributions, specifically his Third Law, as they learn about gravity and the center of mass. They work multiple problems to ensure their understanding and...

Young scholars participate in lessons on Forces and Newton's Laws by selecting activities and assignments to complete in a Layer Unit. Students select assignments and activities in the C Level, B Level, and A Level.

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...

Balloons aren't just for parties! An inquiry-based lesson explores the idea of using balloons for space exploration. Learners become engineers as they attempt to control the ascent and descent of a helium balloon using different masses.

A comprehensive lesson on acceleration awaits your physicists and engineers! Two YouTube videos pique their interest, then sample F=ma problems are worked and graphed. The highlight of the lesson is the building of a Lou-Vee air car!...

Engineer an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) to study concepts of physics. Using household materials, collaborative groups design and build an AUV and then test Newton's Laws of Motion as they apply them in underwater environments...

Learners study the concepts of motion, velocity, and acceleration through graphing their own movement using LoggerPro. They explain the difference between speed and velocity using the weather vane example. They discover the difference...