Urbana School District
Energy, Work, Simple Machines
The tension of the 236 strings in a grand piano exert a combined force of 20 tons on the cast iron frame. The presentation includes topics such as work, forms of energy, conservation of energy, gravitational and elastic potential energy,...
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Merging Art and Science?
Young scholars approach science through artwork. In this art and science lesson students work together to develop theories and gather data.
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FORCES, MOTION, AND ENERGY
Eighth graders engage in a variety of activities in order to investigate the basic concepts of physics. They read and answer questions in a written text. This is only one type of activity that is part of many others.
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Balsa Wood Airplane Flight and Speed Correlation
Ninth graders calculate the average speed of their balsa wood airplane. In this physics lesson, 9th graders build their own airplane and make necessary modifications to to make it fly straight. They interpret distance and time graph...
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Learn to Build a Rocket in 5 Days
Students explore physics by participating in an engineering activity. In this rocket lesson, students define a list of scientific vocabulary terms such as "re-engineering" and "trade-off." Students identify the rocket creation process by...
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Rover Landing Design Challenge
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.
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Curve Ball
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...
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Slow Down - Speed Up
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
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
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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Scientist/ Webelos Activity Book
In this physical science learning exercise, students write short responses for each scientific law in 14 different questions to obtain a merit badge.
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Crash! Bang!
Students study the physical force of linear momentum by investigating collisions. They analyze the difference between elastic and inelastic collisions. They calculate linear momentum.
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The Historiography on Robert Boyle: Was Boyle the Progenitor of Modern Science?
Learners participate in a warm-up activity by attending a football match writing an account of who won the game. They discuss how their account could differ from someone else's account of the game. They discuss how different people's...
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Where Will It Go?
Students predict the path of a ball bouncing off an object. For this physics lesson, students conduct the rolling ball experiment to test their prediction. They perform several trials for accuracy.
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Weight and Velocity
Middle schoolers perform an experiment in order to determine how increasing weight affects the velocity of a truck and use the computer to compile their data.
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Rocket Me into Space
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...
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States of Matter Mini-Unit
Middle schoolers identify he phases of matter (solid, liquid, gas), and why they take place. They comprehend what a physical change is and what a chemical change is. Students know the difference between a Mixture and a Solution.
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WHAT HOLDS US TO EARTH?
Middle schoolers they imagine they are Galileo and try to duplicate Galileo's experiments and results.
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Impulse and Momentum
Learners 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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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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The Seasons
Discover the change of the seasons by modeling the Earth-Sun system. Learners model the orbit of the Earth around the sun and explore how and why the patterns of winter and summer occur.
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#22 Frames of Reference: The Basics
Students explore the concept of frames of reference in physics.
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Frames of Reference: The Basics
Young scholars learn the concept of frames of reference in physics. They examine how two frames of reference, each moving with respect to the other with a constant velocity v (constant speed, constant direction).
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"Girls Only" Science Workshop
Students design sleds. In 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.