It is plane to see that simple machines help reduce the force needed to perform a task.  This resource introduces three of the simple machines--the inclined plane, the wedge, and the screw, and  the formulas in order to be able...

Which pulley system will give us a whale of a good time? Teams compare the theoretical and actual mechanical advantages of different pulley systems. They then form a recommendation for how to move a whale from an aquarium back to the ocean.

In this force worksheet, students answer short answer questions about pushing and pulling different objects. Students complete 15 questions.

In this forces worksheet, students calculate life force, acceleration, and displacement for 8 word problems. Students must label force diagram and a summation force model.

In this energy worksheet, students read about the discoveries of Galileo and how different philosophers contributed to our understanding of energy. Then students complete 4 short answer questions.

Third graders view a demonstration of a teeter totter as a basis for assessing pre-knowledge of a lever. They create a KwL chart. Students work in small groups to conduct a variety of experiments. The first requires students to tie books...

Learners experiment with inner tubes, weights, flasks, and pistons to demonstrate the gas laws. In this molecular motion instructional activity, students demonstrate pressure as a force per area. They conduct an experiment to show the...

Students investigate ways to enhance an object's flying ability.  In this model construction instructional activity, students construct two paper airplanes, one of which is twice as big as the first.  Students compare and...

Students examine the gender roles of NACW activists. They also discover the attitudes associated with race in the NACW. They work together in groups to write a letter to the leader of the time period.

Paul Chan's latest exhibit includes seven manifestations of light. Today, kids analyze the pieces 1st Light  and 5th Light. They consider the concept of opposed or dualistic realities found in literature, society, and Chan's work....

How does an airplane control its take off and descent? Scholars explore the forces acting on an airplane and control the angle of attack, wing profile, thrust, and airplane size. They learn about lift, drag, thrust, gravity, and the...

Can you easily lift more than your own weight? With a pulley system, almost anyone can manage this challenge. Scholars adjust the mechanical advantage (number of pulleys), weight of object being lifted, and the length of rope pulled. The...

Can you lift a piano into a truck? Simulation allows scholars to explore the relationship between force, ramp length, and weight. Pupils control the variables of truck bed height, ramp length, weight of piano, and the number of friends...

Young scholars launch a rocket.  In this laws of motion lesson, students discuss the forces of flight, how a plane flies and how a rocket gets off the ground.  Young scholars watch a video about rocket launches, discuss...

Students explore weight by building a spring scale and observing how it responds to objects with different masses. Each team of students can make their own spring scale by following steps which are specifically outlined in the plan. As...

Sixth graders discuss how simple machines overcome friction. In this simple machine instructional activity, 6th graders review the parts of a plane and how they make up for gravity and friction. They roll different objects down an...

Fifth graders explore drag, thrust, lift and weight.  In this airplane instructional activity, 5th graders define the forces that effect airplanes and design a model airplane.  Students  compare their models...

Students will examine the physics of flight through using experimental inquiry. For this lesson, you'll introduce your students to the four forces of flight--drag, lift, thrust, and weight--through a variety of fun-filled flight...

Teens often display potential energy in class and kinetic in the hallways. This third presentation covers the six types of energy, each in potential and kinetic form. It also covers the Law of Conservation of Energy and Einstein's...

In this energy worksheet, students determine how much work a person an object does, the potential energy of an object, the amount of power being exerted on an object. This worksheet has 16 word problems.

Learners discover the fundamentals and daily applications of simple machines. They investigate basic engineering theory through their hands-on demonstrations of levers.

Students investigate how the density of water changes the buoyancy of water. Students create a hypothesis about what will happen when placing the egg into the water.Students can research online different bodies of water (The Red Sea, The...

Second graders study lift, drag and thrust from a real flight instructor.  In this physical science lesson students build and fly paper airplanes and experiment with variations and design. 

Protect the marshmallows! Groups create contraptions that will keep marshmallows in a cup, even after dropping them from a certain height. This is a fun way to model the shock-absorbing capabilities of spacecraft.