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Spuds in Space
Young scholars explore the effects of velocity on an object when it collides with another object. They design and outfit a potato astronaut in a spacesuit to withstand the hazards of high velocity impacts from space debris and meteoroids.
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Energy Transformation with a Top
Second graders examine both potential and kinetic energy. After discussing the difference and examples of potential and kinetic energy, they participate in a game of "Show Me Potential Energy/Show Me Kinetic Energy" using toy tops.
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Energy: Light -- Spinning Color Wheel
Second graders make spinning color wheels to determine how energy effects what colors look like. They paint or color a color wheel with the seven colors of the spectrum. Next, the spin the wheel to determine what happens. In order to...
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Microwave Telescopes
Discovery of microwaves and other trivia starting this PowerPoint will help interest your class in the application and behavior of these radio waves. Great images to show real-life experiments and equipment help understanding of how the...
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Energy Transformation with Balance Toys
Students explore and identify the concepts of potential and kinetic energy. They define kinetic and potential energy and discuss examples of each. Students then play a game involving balance toys, demonstrating both kinetic and potential...
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Measuring Velocity
Students calculate their classmate's velocity using a mathematical formula. In this physics lesson, students graph the motion. They interpret the slope of the graph.
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Perpetual Motion
Middle schoolers discuss movement of air currents and then experiment to create visible models of air currents. Students connect the model to weather patterns.
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Extreme Acceleration
Students explore the concept of acceleration. They determine the acceleration rate of a roller-blader and graph the results.
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Helium Balloon Race
Students determine the force of a helium balloon that allows it to rise a specific distance. In this helium lesson students calculate the amount of paper needed to construct a weight and determine the density of a piece of...
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Keep It Hot
Young scholars design and conduct an experiment to explore the insulating abilities of different materials for keeping a liquid in a paper cup warm. A small group of lab partners test four different materials: black paper, white paper,...
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Learn to Build a Rocket in 5 Days or Your Money Back
Students discover the entire process that goes into designing a rocket for any customer. They study important factors such as supplies, ethics, deadlines and budgets. Also, students explore about the Engineering process, and recognize...
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Heat Up the Floating Plates
Eighth graders research the connection between the convection currents within the mantle of the earth and the moving of Earth's plates. A connection to lessons at previous grade levels on the rock cycle and important background...
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Vibrations and Waves
For this vibrations and waves worksheet, students determine the period and frequency of a pendulum with the mass of .100 kg released. Then they determine whether the amounts increase, decrease, or stay the same when the same pendulum is...
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How Do Probes Get To Space
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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Avalanche!
Students explain that when forces on an object are balanced, the motion of object does not change. They describe how an object changes its motion when forces on it are unbalanced. They plan and conduct a scientific investigation to test...
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Wig-wag Physics
High schoolers make observations on the effects of a small, medium and large weight on the movement of a wig-wag apparatus. They use their observations to develop a generalized inference of the effect weight on movement patterns.
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Gravity
Students perform inquiry in response to the question "Do objects fall at the same rate?", teacher candidates discuss a model experiment for secondary students to discover the answer, including recording and analyzing data.
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Rocketry in Motion
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...
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Sports in Physics: Measuring Velocity in a Mini-Olympics
Eighth graders examine the difference between speed, velocity and acceleration. In this velocity lesson students read and construct a line graph and a bar graph to show information about velocities of sports activities.
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A Steep Hike
Young scholars explore slope. In this middle school mathematics lesson, students analyze and interpret graphs as they investigate slope as a rate of change. Young scholars use a motion detector to collect data as they walk at...
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Building the Car (Mechanics and Motion)
Students design and begin building a car out of K'NEX parts after a class discussion on the components of the car, the constraints and goals of the design, the type of testing that will be performed, and a demonstration of a basic...
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Layers of the Earth
In this layer of the earth worksheet, students label and color each layer of the earth. Then students are asked to describe each layer below.
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Life Cycle of a Butterfly
In this activity on the life cycle of the butterfly, students look at 4 pictures representing the life cycle stages, and choose words from a word box that match each picture. Students then number the pictures in the correct order of life...
NASA
Project X-51
In a nose-cone to nose-cone competition, which rocket will prevail? Teams form rocket companies to design and build a rocket while competing against other teams in an economic challenge. The team that comes up with the best benefit/cost...