Students investigate space travel. In this space travel lesson plan students examine space exploration history, engineers and scientists involved in space exploration, and Newton's third law of motion. Students make rockets.

For this ion propulsion worksheet, students read about Deep Space I that uses ion propulsion to power the spacecraft. They learn about ion propulsion and answer three questions about it.

In this ion rocket engines worksheet, students read about how heavy atoms are used to create the thrust in rocket engines. They solve 5 problems including determining the speed of atoms in a satellite, finding the average acceleration of...

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...

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...

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 research propulsion, graph data, and interpret the results.

Young scholars build a model rocket. In this model rocket lesson plan, students explore a rocket launch cycle. Young scholars investigate the laws of physics for each part of the launch. Students build model rockets and launch at school.

Operating a vehicle remotely can be difficult, especially when the vehicle is on another planet. Young engineers get a feel for some of the real-world challenges as they work to program their rovers (blindfolded group members)...

Pupils build pinwheel airplanes and balloon rockets to determine which ones fly faster and which fly farther.

It's time to go to Mars. Using the provided cards and mat, groups design a mission to Mars. The cards contain information about the different components of the launch and warn about a few mishaps that might occur along the way.

Students assess how patterns, functions and algebra can assist NASA engineers design new ways of propelling spacecrafts. They explore how electricity and magnetism are replacing the fuel-consuming rocket propulsion. Electromagnetism is...

Students investigate differences between aircraft and spacecraft, and the differences in propulsion systems. They build pinwheel airplanes and balloon rockets. An interactive activity quizzes students on thrust.

Newton's Laws get the rocket to work, but do they serve any other functions? A six-page resource classifies rockets by the type of propellant they use. It then describes applications of Newton's Laws of Motion, both in the...

Students, after reading the Web page Turbojet Thrust and completing the activity, explain how jet engines use air to produce thrust. The educational software ""FoilSim" is used in this lesson to help students calculate thrust.

Students use EngineSim and information found on the World Wide Web to complete the activity on the relationship between the atmosphere and jet fuel. They discover how much air is required to pass through a jet engine.

Students, in groups, design a procedure to calculate the mass of gas molecules in the classroom by measuring the volume of the classroom and researching the density of air. They apply changes in air density with altitude and effects on a...

Students explain the basic principles of gasoline engines as propulsion for vehicles. They cite reasons why alternatives for gasoline engines are being considered and explain differences between a motor and an engine.

Students are introduced to the physics of flight through video and PowerPoint presentations. They construct and fly model gliders and compete for height, distance, time, etc.

Let there be light. The last installment of a seven-part series has pupils conduct an experiment on light attenuation through different numbers of transparency sheets. They then relate the results back to how X-rays measure bone density.

Ready, aim, fire! Launch to a new level of understanding as scholars build and test their own catapults. Learners explore lever design and how adjusting the fulcrum changes the outcome. 

Students experiment on magnets and electricity. For this physics lesson, students determine what factors affect the strength of a magnetic field. They design an experiment to determine how electromagnetic field strength varies with...

In this scientific notation worksheet, learners read about the discovery of new planets. They use scientific notation to identify the number of miles from one planet to the next. Students determine how long it would take to travel, when...

Sixth graders build a speaker as they investigate the roles of electricity and magnetism. They discover the properties of magnets, create an electromagnet, and determine the direction of a magnetic field. They show cause and effect...