Curated OER
The Science of Hurricanes
Learners are introduced to the science of hurricanes in an effort to highlight how forces change the speed and direction of motion.
Teach Engineering
Magnetic Fields Matter
Help your young scientists learn which materials are affected by magnetic fields with an activity that presents the information about different types of materials — diamagnetic, paramagnetic, and ferromagnetic — and their interaction...
Teach Engineering
Capillarity – Measuring Surface Tension
How do cohesion and adhesion work together? The third installment of a nine-part series teaches young scientists the difference between adhesion and cohesion. They also learn how cohesion and adhesion work together to cause capillary...
Curated OER
Helium Balloon Race
Students determine the force of a helium balloon that allows it to rise a specific distance. In this helium instructional activity students calculate the amount of paper needed to construct a weight and determine the density of a piece...
Curated OER
Super Paper Planes
Third graders conduct an experiment. In this force, mass and measurement lesson, 3rd graders create 3 planes powered by a straw out of 3 different kinds of paper. They record their results.
Curated OER
How Far?
Learners explore how different textures provide varying amounts of friction to objects moving across them. They build a tool to measure the amount of friction between a note card and various surfaces by measuring the distance that a...
Curated OER
Dimensional Analysis
Twelfth graders examine different dimensions and units which go with a particular dimension. They explore the concept of linear measurement versus area. Students estimate area of 3-D objects. They practice converting from one unit of...
Curated OER
Creeping
Young scholars observe, measure, and graph a model of slow down slope movement representing soil creep. This task assesses students' abilities to collect, record, and organize data, set up graph axes, plot data points, draw line graphs,...
Curated OER
Build a Weather Vane
Students construct a weather vane using their knowledge of some geometric shapes. In this weather lesson, students work in pairs to create a weather vane in order to measure wind direction. Students follow precise directions to ensure...
Curated OER
Friction Force
High schoolers investigate friction force on a variety of objects such as bricks and cardboard boxes. They use a force probe to collect data on the changes in force required to drag the objects across a variety of surface types.
Curated OER
Propellers, Forces and Energy
Students construct a model airplane, measure distance, and calculate velocity. For this creative lesson students work in groups to build a model and use it to calculate distances and velocity.
Curated OER
Forces and Pressure
In this forces worksheet, students will review the different types of forces and how forces are measured. This worksheet has 9 fill in the blank, 1 short answer, and 11 multiple choice questions.
Curated OER
World's Most Dynamic Force
Students explore the Earth's forces. They review an assessment task and its accompanying rubric. They classify ten items as long-term or short-term interactions of the Earth's components and rank the destructive impact of the forces. ...
Teach Engineering
Machines and Tools (Part 2)
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.
Teach Engineering
Bend That Bar
Bend it, but don't break it. Groups investigate the strength of different materials. Using a procedure in the seventh segment of a 22-part series on aviation, pupils determine how far a rod will bend. They determine the strength-to-mass...
Curated OER
Household Things that Fly and Why!!!
Students examine the four forces of flight. In this flight lesson, students test to see which types of items will fly. Students make predictions on whether the item will fly or not. Students gain knowledge about lift, gravity, thrust and...
Curated OER
Parachutes: What a Drag
Sixth graders make 2 different kinds of parachutes and record and graph the time for each one for the different drag forces. In this parachute lesson plan, 6th graders compare the results to the rest of the class of each parachute and...
Curated OER
Physics and Me
Sixth graders compare and contrast mass and weight. In this physics lesson, 6th graders calculate speed given distance and time information. They construct a rocket and relate this to Newton's 3rd Law of motion.
Curated OER
Math in Science-The Pressure is On
In this pressure worksheet, students find the pressure of objects using the equation for pressure. They find the pressure of air in the atmosphere and the pressure of water in the ocean at different depths.
Curated OER
Pressure
In this physics learning exercise, students use the clues at the bottom of the sheet to complete the crossword related to pressure. There are 15 clues to solve in the puzzle.
Curated OER
Action-Reaction! Rocket
Young scholars construct a rocket from a balloon propelled along a guide string. They use this model to learn about Newton's three laws of motion, examining the effect of different forces on the motion of the rocket. They measure the...
Teach Engineering
Preconditioning Balloons: Viscoelastic Biomedical Experiments
What does stretching a balloon have to do with equilibrium? Groups explore preconditioning by stretching a balloon to a point of equilibrium. They then measure the amount of force required to stretch the balloon to the same point several...
Teach Engineering
Tools and Equipment (Part 1)
Looking for the best inclined plane for the job? Groups calculate the theoretical mechanical advantage for four different inclined planes. They determine the actual mechanical advantage by measuring the amount of force needed for the...
Curated OER
Technology Integration Project Weather Unit Plan
Students use a variety of technology-assisted weather observation tools to observe and record local weather. They identify, measure and record weather conditions, summarize types of clouds and make graphs of their observations. Students...