+
PPT
Urbana School District

Energy, Work, Simple Machines

For Students 11th - Higher Ed Standards
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,...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Merging Art and Science?

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Young scholars approach science through artwork.  In this art and science lesson students work together to develop theories and gather data. 
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

FORCES, MOTION, AND ENERGY

For Teachers 8th
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.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Balsa Wood Airplane Flight and Speed Correlation

For Teachers 9th
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...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Learn to Build a Rocket in 5 Days

For Teachers K - 5th
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...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

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
Curated OER

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
Curated OER

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.
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Curated OER

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...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

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...
+
Worksheet
Curated OER

Scientist/ Webelos Activity Book

For Students 9th - 11th
In this physical science learning exercise, students write short responses for each scientific law in 14 different questions to obtain a merit badge.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Crash! Bang!

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students study the physical force of linear momentum by investigating collisions. They analyze the difference between elastic and inelastic collisions. They calculate linear momentum.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Historiography on Robert Boyle: Was Boyle the Progenitor of Modern Science?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
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...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Where Will It Go?

For Teachers 1st - 4th
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.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Weight and Velocity

For Teachers 6th - 8th
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.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

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
Curated OER

States of Matter Mini-Unit

For Teachers 6th - 8th
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.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

WHAT HOLDS US TO EARTH?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers they imagine they are Galileo and try to duplicate Galileo's experiments and results.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Impulse and Momentum

For Teachers 11th - 12th
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.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

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
1
1
Curated OER

The Seasons

For Teachers 6th - 8th
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.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

#22 Frames of Reference: The Basics

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the concept of frames of reference in physics.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Frames of Reference: The Basics

For Teachers 9th - 12th
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).
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"Girls Only" Science Workshop

For Teachers 2nd - 12th
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.