Teach Engineering
Fairly Fundamental Facts About Forces and Structures
Don't twist and turn looking for a resource. The first installment of a six-part series teaches young engineers about the five fundamental forces of compression, tension, shear, bending, and torsion. These forces help explain different...
Teach Engineering
May the Force Be With You: Thrust
Force the plane through the air. The lesson introduces the force on an airplane that makes it go forward. Pupils learn how Newton's laws of motion apply to flight in the eighth segment of a 22-part unit on flight.
Curated OER
Exploring Nature: Powerful Forces
Pupils observe samples of artwork which use line, shape, and form to show movement and depict natural forces of nature. They create their own piece of artwork that shows a natural force and movement and then write a descriptive paragraph...
Curated OER
Simple Machines/Technology/ Force
Third graders study and define force. They determine that the cause of movement is pushing or pulling which are the types of force used when operating simple machines. They experiment to determine which object requires the most amount of...
Science Matters
Landforms from Volcanoes
Three major types of volcanoes exist: cinder cone, composite/strata, and shield. The 18th instructional activity in a 20-part series covers the various landforms created from volcanoes. Scholars work in pairs to correctly...
Curated OER
Force and Motion Flip Books
Fourth graders identify six simple machines in real world examples, distinguish between the three different types of levers and explain Newton's three laws of motion. They create a multimedia presentation over the information they've...
Curated OER
Forces and Motion Scavenger Hunt
Students determine how force on an object affects its movement. In this force and motion lesson, students take digital pictures of objects in the school setting that are pushed and pulled. They develop a presentation using the digital...
Curated OER
Forces and Movement
Students examine types of forces and movements. They identify different causes that can affect movement and speed. They create their own predictions about they believe to be the outcome of an experiment.
Curated OER
Move It!!!
Students explore motion by observing the movement of people and duplicating those movements. They compare and contrast various kinds of movements and identify different types of movements in pictures. They build an object that can be...
Curated OER
Constructive and Destructive forces
Students explore constructive and destructive forces. In this constructive and destructive forces instructional activity, students complete a WebQuest. Students explore the different types of forces and their effect on the surrounding...
Curated OER
Types of Forces
Students study scientific names and descriptions of forces. In this motion lesson plan students organize information into a graphic organizer then teach it to other students.
Cornell University
Bridge Building
Bridge the gaps in your knowledge of bridges. Individuals learn about bridge types by building models. The activity introduces beam bridges, arch bridges, truss bridges, and suspension bridges.
Kenan Fellows
The Newton Challenge
Make Newton proud. Scholars apply their understanding of forces and energy to an engineering design challenge. They learn about simple machines, create a presentation on Newton's laws, and develop a balloon-powered car.
Curated OER
What Can We Lose? What Do We Lose as we Gain Force With A Lever?
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...
Curated OER
Cloud Types
Students examine cloud types. In this cloud lesson, students identify cloud types, observe clouds and collect data, and analyze data to identify the most common cloud they observe overhead during the course of a month.
Curated OER
Don't Slip!
Students measure, record, and graph the force of moving a block of wood along sand paper. In this friction lesson plan, students read a spring scale, collect data, construct a graph, and propose a model to explain how fiction works.
Curated OER
Getting into Shape
Students identify 3-D geometric shapes through different pieces of artwork. They examine and identify segments and angles. Students act out shapes and create a piece of artwork. Additional cross curriculum activities are listed.
Curated OER
Sounds Like Science-Kazoo
Students demonstrate how energy is used to make a sound. In this sound lesson, students construct a kazoo from a comb and identify how a sound is made by using force.
Curated OER
Konnecting Simple Machines and K'Nex
Learners study and identify different types of simple machines and how they work. They design a simple machine.
Curated OER
Identifying Forces
Pupils identify, describe and indicate direction and relative magnitude of forces. In this motion lesson students work in groups to identify the force that is described to them.
Curated OER
Building Bridges
Learners, in groups, design and test a scale bridge. They use the Internet to research three basic bridge designs -- beam, arch, and suspension -- and the forces that act upon them.
Curated OER
Atlatl Lessons for Grade 7
Seventh graders examine force and motion. In this seventh grade mathematics/science lesson, 7th graders collect and analyze data regarding the use of an atlatl to throw a spear. Students describe and analyze the motion which leads to the...
Curated OER
Clouds
Students explore clouds. In this weather lesson, students identify the steps in the water cycle, define condensation and evaporation, and relate this information to cloud formation. Students perform a cloud experiment,...
Curated OER
Simple Machines
Students explore the concepts of force and effort by observing simple machines. For this physics lesson, students attempt to sharpen a pencil without any help, bite into an orange with their lips curled over their teeth, and other...