Curated OER
Making Sense of Density
Students identify the concepts of density, mass, and volume that define the property of a substance. They also determine that the properties of materials, such as, density and volume, can be compared and measured by using rulers,...
Curated OER
Graphical Determination of Density
Students determine the density of metal shot by a graphical method using significant digits in making measurements and calculations. Students graph a seris of laboratory measurements and determine density from a mass verses volume graph.
Curated OER
Heavyweight Champion
Students identify what mass is and how to measure an object with a balance in gram units. Students identify weight and how to measure with a spring scale in units of force. Students compare the masses of two objects by placing each on...
Curated OER
Density in Relation to Float and Sink
Students explore the concept of density. In this density lesson, students determine the density of various objects. Students use the density of the various objects to predict the density of various unknown solutions.
Curated OER
Vector Lab
Here is a math lab that helps young mathematicians understand the real-life meaning for vector addition. By building a model using spring scales and washers as weight, and then calculating the vector addition using two different methods,...
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Creating Impact Craters
Sixth graders simulate the creation of impact craters on Mars.Through the creation of model surfaces, the effects of an impacting object's mass, velocity and size are determined, and the features of the resulting crater are identified.
Foundation for Water & Energy Education
What is the Water Cycle? Activity A
Hydrologists create a concept map about how water is used and a sentence strip defining water and describing its unique properties. Small groups work together to fill a small milk carton and compute the mass of water inside. The next...
Curated OER
temperature and the Scientific Method Lesson Plan
Sixth graders study heat, temperature, and heat transfer. Using probeware, the teacher demonstrates boiling points. Students participate in experiments and record the beginning and ending temperatures and mass of objects. After...
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Weights
Students find an object that they estimate weighs 20g and check estimates on the balance scales. They read the problem and work in pairs focusing their understanding on the size of grams.
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How Much Does a Bear Weigh?
Students estimate how many children in their class it would take to equal the mass of one adult bear. They then weigh and record their measurement on a chart to check their estimate.
Curated OER
Weightlessness
Eighth graders study weight, force and mass as it pertains to the earths pull. In this weightlessness lesson students are divided into groups and complete an activity.
Curated OER
Don’t be a Stoic about Stoichiometry
Students review balancing chemical equations. In this chemistry lesson, students calculate moles of an unknown substance based on stoichiometric relationships in the balanced equation. They cite applications of stoichiometry in the real...
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Acceleration 2
In this acceleration activity, students experiment with varying amounts of mass to observe the effects on the force needed to move an object. Students apply Newton's Second Law of Motion to describe the relationship between mass and...
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Why Cheerios Don't Sink
Students investigate Archimedes' Principle and show how it relates to density. For this Archimedes' Principle lesson plan, students experiment with a beaker of water, a Styrofoam "boat" and a weight. They predict what will happen when...
Curated OER
Diaper Challenge
Middle schoolers compare the absorbency of a regular diaper and a swim diaper in fresh water and salt water. In this absorbency lesson plan, students mass the diapers and place them in water and determine the change in mass. They do the...
Curated OER
Creating the Ideal Cargo Boat
Students build boats out of clay to test the buoyancy of the boat in water. Students break into pairs and construct their boat to specific guide lines, then experiment with their boat in the water.
Curated OER
Buoyant Boats
Learners design and construct a boat out of aluminum foil and a few other simple materials. The boats then be tested by floating them in water, then adding mass until they sink. They explore the various shapes of boat construction.
Curated OER
Grams and Kilograms
Fourth graders participate in scavenger hunts for objects that weigh a gram and a kilogram. In this metric measure instructional activity, 4th graders use a spring scale to measure objects they believe weigh a gram and a kilogram....
Virginia Department of Education
The Rate of Motion
How much time does it take to jump over three balloons? Pupils calculate the speed of tasks that require different motions. They determine motions for tasks such as walking, skipping, hopping, and jumping before creating a spreadsheet...
Curated OER
Tools of the Trade
Third graders explore and identify the tools that can be used to measure length, mass/weight, and volume. They discuss how things are measured using different units, and observe the difference between the English and the Metric systems....
Curated OER
Distance over Time
Students analyze velocity and how it is determined. They experiment with velocity in order to measure and calculate the magnitude of speed. They use examples in their novel "Skateboard Renegade" to relate velocity to real life situations.
Curated OER
Metric Olympic Games
Students participate in a metric Olympics. In this metric measurement lesson, students participate in 6 events that require them to predict, estimate, and measure lengths, masses, and area in metric units.
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Let's Measure
Third graders practice measuring different objects. They discover the concepts of ratio and proportion and practice converting numbers into the correct unit. They read stories as well to help them with the concepts.
Curated OER
Hanging Around
Learners 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...