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Flying With Mathematics!
Third graders fly miniature airplanes to discover characteristics related to velocity and average speed. After measuring the time and distance of their flights, 3rd graders calculate the average velocity of their planes.
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Earth's Magnetic Pole
In this Earth's magnetic pole worksheet, students use a diagram showing the changes in the magnetic pole of the Earth over time. Students use the given scale of the changes to answer 6 questions about the average speed of the magnetic...
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Details from an Exploding Star
In this nebula worksheet, students read about the Crab Nebula and calculate the average speed of the expanding gas. They determine the size of the smallest clumps of gas and they draw the diameter of the solar system to scale.
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Hubble Spies Colliding Asteroids!
In this colliding asteroids worksheet, students are given the equation to determine the collision time for asteroids. Students use this equation to solve 4 problems including finding the area of a cross-section through the body of an...
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The Dawn Mission: Ion Rockets and Spiral Orbits
In this ion rocket and orbits worksheet, students read about the spiral orbit the Dawn spacecraft took due to its ion rocket motor. Students solve 3 problems including finding the path taken by the spacecraft, determining the total path...
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Acceleration, Drag, Gravity, Motion, Forces, and Friction
Eighth graders build and run mousetrap cars in order to measure distance, time, and mass for their cars. They use these measurements to calculate average speed and kinetic energy, then create a slide show to visually explain how the car...
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Refraction Through a Circular Disk
In this refraction through a circular disk activity, students are given a diagram of a circular disk of leaded glass with light striking it. Students use the diagram to find the angle of incidence of the light, the angle of refraction,...
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Prey or Pray? Could YOU Escape a Cheetah?
Tenth graders estimate the size of an adult cheetah by research and measurement of a picture. They determine the approximate distance and speed of the cheetah from a filmed chase and compare that to their own running speed.
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Toboggan Science
Students conduct toboggan time trials to investigate the variables that have the greatest effect on toboggan speed. In small groups, they develop a hypothesis to test and perform three trials on the toboggan run for each variable.
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How Fast is "Fast"?
In this movement activity, students will complete 5 sentences by filling in the blank with vocabulary words associated with movement: acceleration, gravity, and speed. Then students will be given 3 units of measurement and they will...
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Take a Walk
Sixth graders graph acceleration and practice using the metric system. In this physics lesson, 6th graders take turns timing each other as they walk 15 meters. Students then chart and graph their data using the metric system.
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Kepler's Laws-Worksheet #1
In this Kepler's laws worksheet, students solve 8 problems using Kepler's laws to find the eccentricity of the planet's orbit, to determine the average distance of Haley's comet from the sun and to determine Kepler's constant for each...
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Wave Math
Students identify the different factors affecting the size and shape of ocean waves. In this math instructional activity, students calculate wave speed and wavelength given a mathematical formula.
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Investigating Motion, Forces, and Energy Lab Book
Eighth graders create their own experiements using toy trucks, cars or balls to measure the time it takes two of them to travel 5 meters, as well as at each 1 meter interval. They make use computers to make a time/distance graph and...
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Matter in Motion
In this matter in motion learning exercise, middle schoolers answer the provided questions as it relates to motion, speed, velocity, and acceleration. Students mark given statements as either true or false.
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Collecting Data on Running Speeds
Students collect data on running speeds of various individuals in class to determine the average running speed for a distance of 20 meters.
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The Great Tin Race
Students construct and race tin can cars. In this motion lesson plan, groups build tin racers, complete timed runs, and record their data on the provided worksheet. The teacher leads a discussion comparing data between groups. Specific...
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Dude, Who Hit My Car?
Students discuss how investigators solve a hit and run accident. In this physical science lesson, students recreate an accident scene using CEENBot. They collect data from the experiment and formulate conclusion.
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Motion
In this motion worksheet, students will read 8 statements about displacement and velocity and determine if the statement is true or false. Then students will fill in the blank for 8 statements on motion. Finally, students will compare...
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Energy Costs of Walking and Running
In this energy worksheet, students use a data chart comparing the energy used while running and walking to create a graph and complete 2 short answer questions.
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The Martian Dust Devils
In this martian dust devils worksheet, students use images of a dust devil captured by NASA's Spirit rover to calculate the distance the dust devil traveled, the speed, and its acceleration or deceleration.
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Coronal Mass Ejection
In this coronal mass ejection worksheet, students read about the coronal mass ejections detected by the IMAGE satellite and the Hubble Space Telescope resulting in auroras. Students solve 6 problems and determine the speed of the coronal...
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Super-Fast Solar Flares!
In this solar flares learning exercise, students observe a sequence of figures of a solar flare observed in 2003 from the Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager satellite. Students solve 6 problems including finding the scale of...
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Hubble Sees a Distant Planet
In this Hubble telescope worksheet, students solve 4 problems about the image of the distant planet the Hubble telescope discovered. Students determine the distance the planet was from its star in 2006, they determine the planet's...