Curated OER
Properties of Air
Students conduct investigations to demonstrate and learn that air takes up space, and puts pressure, or pushes, on everything around it. They conduct experiments to learn about feeling air pressure and measuring air pressure. Prior to...
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Learning about air
Learners read a book and have a class discussion about the air around them. In this air lesson plan, students learn about properties of air, and discuss other gases they have observed.
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Gravity Gets You Down
Students design an experiment to investigate how objects with different masses fall. In this physics lesson, students predict how these objects will fall in a vacuum tube. They write a report explaining experimental results and conclusion.
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Float a Hot Air Balloon
This activity will lift spirits in your class, but there is little scientific explanation for what makes a hot air balloon rise. As you are teaching middle school scientists about density and convection, you can incorporate this...
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Pilot a Balloon
Balloons will go where you want them to. Young pilots first add paper clips to a balloon to make it neutrally buoyant. They then use cardboard to steer the balloon in different directions, taking air pressure into account.
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Let's Think About... Magnets and Gravity
Students watch an episode of the PBS show "Jay Jay the Jet Plane," and explore magnets and gravity. They conduct various experiments involving magnets and sand, bean bags, and a fishing pole with magnets.
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Air: Demonstrating Its Presence and Effects
Students explore the concept of air. In this gravity lesson, students perform various experiments that deal with gravity, air resistance, and air pressure.
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Experience Gravity Free Water
Students complete an experiment with a glass of water and cover the opening with cardboard and turn it over. In this gravity lesson plan, students observe how air pressure does not allow the cardboard to fall and let the water out.
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How the force of air helps an airplane fly.
Students appropriately the following terms in sentences: drag, thrust, gravity, aerodynamics and lift.
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Gravity
Students explore gravitational force. Through experimentation, students observe the acceleration of objects when they fall. They examine air resistance, and how the human body is attracted to the earth. Students discover the...
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Air and Aerodynamics
In this science activity, students find the words that are related to the vocabulary of air and aerodynamics. The answers are found at the bottom of the page.
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Which Falls Faster?
Second graders study force and what it does. In this motion lesson students complete a demonstration on force and gravity and share their ideas.
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Labeling Forces Correctly!
Define six common forces: propulsion, air resistance, water resistance, friction, gravity, and upthrust. A picture of a Smart Car is displayed with arrows showing all of the forces acting on it when it is motion. A picture of a rubber...
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Measuring the Effects of Gravistimulation on Plants
Learners conduct an experiment to determine if a plant's response to gravity is affected by different angles of plant orientation.
PHET
Gas Properties
We can't see most gases and we can't see things at the molecular level — but that's about to change! A simulation shows pupils the activity of molecules in a gas. The simulation allows scholars to vary the volume, heat, and gravity in a...
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Forces
These simple slides are basic, but clear, in their summary of physical forces. Definitions of friction, air resistance, gravity, freefall and projectiles are given along with a couple of helpful diagrams. More examples always help to...
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Bounce Back - The Long and Short of It
Upper elementary scientists test basketballs with differing amounts of air to find if inflation affects bounce height. The lesson introduction poses the question of whether or not the composition of a ball determines bounce height, but...
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How Do Airplanes Fly?
Students study the concepts of air pressure, air speed, and gravity as it relates to airplanes. For this how do airplanes fly lesson plan, students study the basics of flight. Then reinforce their fine motor skills by creating airplane...
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Unit VII Energy: WS 3a Energy Transfer and Storage
Here is a nifty worksheet on energy transfer. Physics fanatics analyze a diagram and state whether or not friction is involved. They sketch bar graphs and draw energy flow diagrams for each system as well. Circular motion, movement up...
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The Force of Gravity
Third graders observe and analyze the forces of gravity. They are going to pretend to go on a bike ride and listen carefully as you describe the terrain. Students respond appropriately to the forces of gravity. They throw the ball into...
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Gravity
Fourth graders discuss the myth of Galileo's experiments in which he threw items out the leaning Tower of Pisa to find out how fast they fell and predict what they think could happen when the two items listed on the same line are dropped...
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Up, Up and Away
Tenth graders experiment with gravity and air pressure. In this geometry lesson, 10th graders build their own kits and fly it. They investigate the questions: what keeps a kite in the air and what are some important factors when flying a...
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Flight Dreams - The Pressure on Parachutes
Students investigate air pressure by researching parachutes. In this physics lesson plan, students participate in three separate experiments utilizing air pressure and paper products to test theories on parachutes. Students record the...
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Gravitational Acceleration
Students investigate the interdependence of mass and gravitational acceleration using computer simulation. In this physics lesson, students derive the formula for acceleration due to gravity. They calculate air resistance on falling...