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Rocket Me into Space

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders study the concept of thrust and how it propels rockets into space. They discover why airplanes cannot travel into space while considering the engineering techniques use in designing rockets. They look at how space...
Lesson Plan
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Motion in a Circle

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study about deriving centripetal acceleration for motion at constant speed around a circle.
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Rocketry in Motion

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students investigate why a balloon flies in one direction as air escapes in the opposite direction, which helps them understand the nature of rockets and fireworks. Individually and in teams, students conduct research to create a...
Lesson Plan
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WHAT HOLDS US TO EARTH?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners they imagine they are Galileo and try to duplicate Galileo's experiments and results.
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Marble Run

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Learners use marbles to conduct experiments on movement of objects and explore Newton's three laws of motion. In this motion lesson plan, students use marbles, tubing, foam, paper cups, and more.
Lesson Plan
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How Can We See Inertia?

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students conduct 8 experiments to gain an understanding of inertia. Students use a variety of materials to conduct these experiments. Students learn the difference between objects at rest and objects moving in a straight line.
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How Clean is the Water?

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students read about and discuss water and how it is used as a resource and how engineers use technology to preserve it. In this water lesson plan, students look at a picture of water treatment and tell what is wrong with the picture.
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Impulse and Momentum

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students are introduced to the concepts of impulse and momentum and problem solving strategies for these types of problems. In groups, they discover the law of conservation of momentum and share their answers with the class.
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How Do Probes Get To Space

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students investigate how force works to propel rockets into outer space. In this physics instructional activity, students use a drinking straw, fishing line, a balloon, and tape to explore how force works in outer space. Students repeat...
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What is ergonomics and why is it important?

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Students come up with ideas to help friendly, superintelligent space aliens adapt to this environment.
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Cosmic Ray Momentum

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students describe how cosmic rays achieve high kinetic energy via conservation of momentum.
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Rover Landing Design Challenge

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Students examine the concepts of forces and motion. They work together to design protective devices for their egg rovers as they are dropped from a specific height. They record their observations and discuss.
Lesson Plan
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Newtonian Mechanics

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Young scholars familiarize themselves, through teacher demonstration, with Gavendish's apparatus first used for experimentally determining the value of the Universal Gravitational Constant G, and calculate theoretical value of Earth's...
Lesson Plan
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Curve Ball

For Teachers 6th - 9th Standards
Learners explore the concept of parabolas by collecting quadratic data on a bouncing ball as it is falling using a motion detector. They plot the data and determine the equation of the quadratic in vertex form, then determine the values...
Lesson Plan
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Slow Down - Speed Up

For Teachers 6th - 9th Standards
Pupils explore the concept of distance and time as they use a CBR to mimic distance v. time graphs. Learners walk towards and away from the monitor to create various distance v. time graphs, then discuss what motion creates certain graphs.
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Falling Objects

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
High schoolers examine the velocities of two different falling objects. They produce distance vs. time and velocity vs. time graphs using a Motion Detector and a CBL 2 to collect experimental data. Learners analyze and interpret the...
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Vectors

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students describe motion by the use of adding vectors to obtain the resultant vector. They comprehend the meaning of a resultant vector. Students identify the difference between the x and y components of vector quantities. Students...
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Vectors

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students describe a complex path by the use of adding vectors. They comprehend the difference betwee scalar and vector quanitities. Students disucss the naviagation lab. They are explained the procedures for the lab. Students are...
Lesson Plan
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Vectors

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students describe a complex path by the use of adding vectors. They are explained the procedures and rules of the balloon car race. Students are remined that the summary and answers to the questions are due Monday. They are given the...
Lesson Plan
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Tubularastic Roller Coaster

For Teachers 3rd
Students observe the effect of gravity on objects. They use tubing and other materials to simulate a roller caster. Afterward, they create a journal to write their observations and summaries.
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Project X-35

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students demonstrate rocketry principles through a cooperative, problem solving simulation. They work in teams to simulate the development of a commercial proposal to design, build, and launch a rocket.
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Pangaea Puzzle: Exploring the Tectonic Forces That Shape the Earth

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders follow in the footsteps of early scientists as they put the pieces of Pangaea back together and discovered the forces that create the variety of landforms and sea-floor features of our Earth.
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"Girls Only" Science Workshop

For Teachers 2nd - 12th
Students design sleds. For this engineering lesson, students collaborate to engineer and build a real working sleds from the materials provided.  This lesson was originally designed to be taught to a group of female students.
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Sciences Working Together

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars research articles about science technology and society. In this science and technology lesson, students answer questions about an article they chose. They share what they learned with their peers.