Students investigate the relationship between potential and kinetic energy. In this energy instructional activity students investigate the height a ball will bounce when dropped from various heights.

Students studykinetic energy, friction, drag and acceleration by relating it to the Winter Olympics.  In this physical properties lesson plan students create tracks and determine how the course conditions affect bobsled, luge...

Middle schoolers use a two-liter bottle, dowel rod and index cards to design and construct a water wheel. They then calculate the power created and measure the work done by the water wheel in Watts and Joules.

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...

How does the dirt get out of your drinking water? A hands-on activity introduces the use of flocculants to help clear solid particles out of water. The plan walks learners through the process of setting up an experiment that...

Students describe the properties of solids and liquids, and explain how a semiconductor works.  In this atom lesson students demonstrate the bonding properties of carbon and silicon.

Young scholars drop water from different heights to demonstrate the conversion of water's potential energy to kinetic energy. They see how varying the height from which water is dropped affects the splash size. In seeing how falling...

Seventh graders discuss how energy is transformed from one form to another. For this physics lesson, 7th graders design and build their own hydro generator. They identify the factors that affect its energy production.

Students explore the properties of electricity. This lab shows students the need for a circuit in order to have a flow of electricity. It demonstrates Ohm's law, which relates voltage, current, and resistance.

Students explain how conservation of energy applies to roller coasters. In this physics lesson, students construct their own coasters according to a specified criteria. They make modifications to their design when necessary. 

Students describe how to recognize a force, define balanced and net forces, state Newton's first law of motion, explain why friction works, state Newton's second Law of Motion, and explain why the direction of force is important.

Students study the physics used to design today's roller coasters.  In this engineering lesson students complete several activities including designing their own roller coaster. 

Students add a gear system to a car they built out of K'NEX parts in a previous lesson plan. After the gear system is added, a rubber band power system is added to the car in order to propel the car.

Pupils investigate the use of biomass as a fuel. They discuss energy and its uses in their homes. They explore the two types of energy, potential and kinetic and examples of both types. They study the process of photosynthesis and...

Students show that energy is conserved in the laboratory. They calculate the work done by a force on an object as the product of the force and a displacement of the object from a reference point.

Students study kinetic energy and friction and how it pertains to a roller coaster.  In this roller coaster lesson students complete a lab activity.

Eighth graders investigate the concept of force and motion while conducting short class activities. They compare the differences of potential and kinetic energy while rolling objects on a ramp. Students also measure the distance that...

Students explore the rebound of balls. In this energy conversion lesson, students explore the physics behind the rebound of various types of sports balls. Through the experimental design process using balloons, students investigate and...

Students research how water is used to generate electricity. They investigate water's potential-to-kinetic energy transfer in hands-on activities about falling water and waterwheels. They take measurements, calculate averages and graph...

Students define thermal equilibrium. They distinguish between internal energy and heat. Students describe how the quantity of heat that enters or leaves a substance is measured.

Students calculate, measure and identify the hardness of various chocolate bars. They determine the hardness of the chocolate bar using quantitative data. Students make observations of the hardness of chocolate while dropping the...

Students experiment with the bounce of balls on various surfaces. For this physics lesson, students use various surfaces to bounce balls to study the momentum. This hands-on activity with the concepts of elasticity of surfaces which is...

Students study the conservation of energy.  In this energy lesson students explain the differences between potential and kinetic energy.

Students examine Library organization. In this logic lesson, students watch a Between the Lions episode and consider how the library has been organized. Students each list their 3 favorite book titles and how they would classify them....