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,...

Do not let friction drag you down! The 11th segment in a series of 22 focuses on the fourth force acting upon an airplane—drag. Pupils learn about the effects and causes of drag.

Show us your moves. Using sensor equipment, scholars track the motion of different movements, such as jogging, skipping, or jump roping. They analyze velocity and acceleration and create graphs representing each movement.

Are the people on the other side of the world standing upside down? Pupils discuss the relationship between movement and position words. The unit explores the concept of reference points through animation, modeling, photography, and...

Students study wind speed and collect wind speed data. In this wind speed lesson, students visit a website to learn about the local wind speed forecast for their week. Students discuss wind and wind speed. Students collect wind speed...

Students experiment in small groups to answer the question, "Is there a relationship between ramps and speed?" They apply a formula to calculate the speed of the cars used in the experiment, complete the associate lab report, and...

Host a design challenge of Olympic proportion! Junior engineers build their own bobsleds using simple materials. The activity focuses on kinetic and potential energy and how the center of mass affects motion on a downhill track....

Students attempt to design the tallest structure that they can with the given materials which are wooden dowels and rubber bands. They discuss the physics of their structure and how they would improve it the next time they built a...

Young scholars discuss "How can we measure (or make it easier to record) the speed, distance or acceleration of the balloon?" They told that they are going to make a balloon racetrack. Pupils use meter sticks to accurately measure...

Students explore Newton's laws, including what they state, and what the intuitive meaning is of the first and third laws.

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.

Students explore types of motion. In this motion experiment, students observe how objects move. Students work in small groups to discover the laws of motion.

Huygens spacecraft landed on Saturn's moon Titan in 2005, making it the farthest landing from Earth ever made by a spacecraft. For this hands-on activity, the 12th installment of 22, groups explore how density affects speed. To do this,...

When making sweet tea, why do people dissolve the sugar in hot tea instead of cold tea? The class discusses the previous lab and builds upon it. Working in groups, they design an experiment to determine how temperature affects the...

Every year, the moon moves 3.8 cm farther from Earth. In the 11th part of 22, classes use the distance formula. They determine the distance to the moon based upon given data and then graph Galileo spacecraft data to determine its movement.

Young scholars observe the movement of pendulums, they begin to understand the relationship between gravitational forces and the mass of objects, the changes in speed and direction of objects, and the distance between objects. They...

Students are able to analyze practices that affect the use, availabiltiy, and management of natural resources. They are able to show that the forces of friction retards motion. Students investigate electricity and magnetism as...

Fourth graders investigate the third law of motion. In this third law of motion lesson, 4th graders explore the forces necessary for a rocket to launch. Students compare and contrast propellant and fuel. Numerous resources are provided.

Students keep a journal for an intire week recording their observations of the ways aircraft affect society, The students discuss their findings and categorize them into areas such as military, commercial, research, and so on.

This Discovery Education activity provides the information needed to understand the basics of flight. Before taking off, young pilots learn the eight stages of the engineering design process. Small groups then design and build...

Students explore centrifugal and centripetal force. For this motion lesson, students expand on their knowledge of motion to study velocity, acceleration, and friction. Students examine multiple objects to demonstrate the laws of motion.

Full speed ahead! Young learners conduct an activity using toy cars and ramps. They collect data on mass, speed, and time to investigate Newton's second law of motion. Ideally, they'll come up with the equation F = ma.

Students design wheels for a coaster car to travel varying terrain. In this motion and friction lesson, students discuss friction and motion and test wooden wheels on a track. Students then brainstorm how to increase friction and bring...

Students investigate the impact inventions have on people. In this technology lesson, students explore inventions, such as the light bulb, and identify ways the invention impacted society. Students design a simple project that could...