Chicago Children's Museum
Simple Machines: Force and Motion
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, and...
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Forces and Motion
Middle schoolers build parachutes for chicken eggs. In this physics lesson, students describe the forces acting on a falling object. They predict which of the three parachute models they made has the best chance of keeping the egg intact...
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Parachutes: What a Drag
Sixth graders make 2 different kinds of parachutes and record and graph the time for each one for the different drag forces. In this parachute lesson plan, 6th graders compare the results to the rest of the class of each parachute and...
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Forces in Action
Second graders experiment to understand how force is effected by friction. In this forces in action lesson, 2nd graders view a website to simulate what happens when the height of a ramp is changed. Students participate in an experiment...
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Parachutes
Students control the parachutes using arm movements. They follow directions while participating in games. Students explore the effects of wind on several objects. They study the effects of shape, size and weight on a parachute.
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Newton's Laws of Motion
Sixth graders explore Newton's laws of motion with their own bodies. In this relative motion instructional activity students will use a wide range of materials bringing them from the concrete to the abstract on video. Students will draw...
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Motion and Gravity
Third graders make parachutes to learn about gravity and the science process. In this gravity lesson, 3rd graders create parachutes and observe their flight in air. Students discuss wind and gravity for the activity.
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Parachutes: Is it Surface Area or Shape?
Students investigate how to make a good parachute. In this physics lesson, students observe the motion of parachutes as it falls and measure the time. They collect data and calculate the average descent time for each canopy shape.
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Does Shape Affect Drag?
Students study drag and how it affects a parachute in the sky. In this parachutes lesson students build models and compare their drag.
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Does Weight Affect Drag?
Students investigate how weight affects a parachute's rate of fall. In this investigative lesson students test parachutes, average results and conclude what makes a faster descent.
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The Drag of Drag
Students are told that any object moving through a fluid (air, water, molasses, etc) experience a drag force which oppose the motion. They are given the summarized version of drag which is proportional to the square of the velocity....
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Games with a Large Parachute
Students control the parachutes using arm movements. They follow directions while participating in games. They explore the effects of wind on several objects and study the effects of shape, size and weight on a parachute.
NASA
Egg Drop Lander
You have to crack a few eggs to make a good engineer! Working in small groups, young scholars design, build, and test devices that protect an egg from breaking when dropped from a ladder.
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Parachutes And Parafoils
Students study deceleration devices like parachutes and parafoils.