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.

Take a look at acceleration within the context of automotive technology. They vary the mass on a toy car and run it down a ramp, exploring Newton's second law of motion. Though this is a classic lab activity, you will appreciate the...

Learners explore the concepts of force and motion by creating a video.  For this physics lesson, students are assigned one particular aspect of force and motion to investigate and work in groups to create a video that will be...

Get things moving with this extensive collection of physical science resources. Covering the fundamentals of measurement, graphing, lab safety, and experimental design as well as the specific scientific concepts...

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.

After reading about marine engineers and naval architects, it's all hands on deck to design and test a speed boat. This lesson plan is designed for the Next Generation Science Standards in engineering and can be a centerpiece for a STEM...

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....

Investigate invisible forces. Young engineers design a setup that changes the direction of a steel ball using a magnetic force. The purpose of the setup is to model the gravitational pull of spacecraft by planetary bodies.

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.

Groups simulate an orbit using a piece of string and a water balloon. Individuals spin in a circular path and calculate the balloon's velocity when the clothes pin can no longer hold onto the balloon.

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 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 how Newton's Third Law affects vehicle design. In this Newton's Third Law lesson, students use a web site to research Newton, his third law, and how to design a vehicle that uses a balloon for power. They sketch and...

Students are introduced to the concept of motion. In groups, they practice calculating the rate, time, and distance of various objects on a variety of surfaces. To end the instructional activity, they apply the same principles to those...

Students collect and analyze data about wind speed. They build a Lego wind sail and measure the wind speed with a rotation sensor. They use software to analyze the data.

Students assess and explore gravity in the Universe via several short video lessons. They analyze why this science matters and the history of Sir Isaac Newton's law of gravity. A variety of questions are asked within this lesson for each...

Don't kick the resource to the curb; you'll definitely regret it. Future engineers devise a kicking machine that launches a ping-pong ball toward a target. They can use a pendulum, a rubber band, or both, depending on whether they want...

Motion is one of the key topics in physics. Everything in the universe moves. It might only be a small amount of movement and very very slow, but movement does happen. Don't forget that even if you appear to be standing still, the Earth...

Includes exhaustive information and a wealth of activities pertaining to aerodynamics and the physics of flight.