Purdue University
Designing Safer Roadways
Be careful on curvy roads. An interesting STEM activity challenges scholars to design a safe road system. The goal is to help ensure that cars coming down a hill will be able to make a right turn without sliding off the road. Pupils test...
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That Mu You Do
Students discussion frictional force, kinetic friction, and static friction and the role each plays in acceleration and velocity in relationship to a car and the road on which it is traveling. Students complete lesson answering review...
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That Mu You Do
Students are told that the weight of a car is equal to its mass multiplied by the acceleration due to gravity. When a car is at react on a horizontal road, there must be a normal force with which the road pushes up on the car to keep it...
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TE Activity: Does Weight Matter?
Students design and conduct experiment to determine if weight added incrementally to an object affects amount of friction encountered when it slides across a flat surface. They graph data from their experiments, and calculate...
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Marbles in Motion
Fourth graders explore how to play marbles while learning the scientific concepts of force, motion, mass, acceleration, friction, and inertia.
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Laws of Motions
Seventh graders explore the Laws of Motion. They define friction and explain the concept of inertia. Students explain what happens when a force is exerted on an object that is in equilibrium. They state the second and third laws of motion.
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Measure for Measure: Weight and Energy
Students study the friction of a particular sport. In this weight and energy lesson students choose a sport and us the Internet to research it then present their findings to the class.
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Roll On
Second graders, in groups, develop models to show how forces such as gravity, friction, equal, unequal forces and change in direction work on marbles.
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Resistance is Futile
Students participate in two hands-on demonstrations to explore how friction can make objects hard to push.
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Physics on the Playground
Students investigate friction on a playground slide. In this force and energy instructional activity, students will predict, plan, and implement a scientific investigation to the problem; What materials will allow me to slide the fastest...
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Where the Rubber Meets the Road
Eighth graders examine two different types of tires and the effects of different factors on the amount of force needed to overcome sliding friction such as when the vehicle tries to stop.
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Breaker Breaker
Students create a model of a circuit breaker to help them explain how friction causes heat, and how current is carried.
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Pushes and Pulls
Students examine different types of movement and causes that may affect those movements. In this online interactive forces and motion lesson, students use toy cars to observe push and pull and then make predictions and collect data...
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Erosion Deposition Review
In this erosion deposition worksheet, students fill in 36 blanks to complete sentences about the formation of soil, the forces of erosion, physical and chemical weathering, sediments and soil deposition.
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Physics of Roller Coasters
Students study the physics used to design today's roller coasters. In this engineering instructional activity students complete several activities including designing their own roller coaster.
Mr. E. Science
Electric Charges and Current
Resistance is not futile, it is voltage divided by current. The presentation goes in depth covering electric charges, conductors, insulators, electric fields, static charges, and circuits. The lesson is the 12th in a series of 26.
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Four Forces of Flight
Students explore the four forces of flight. They investigate the four forces of flight: lift, drag, thrust and weight (gravity). They experiment with flight-testing various objects commonly found around the house and constructing paper...
Rochester Institute of Technology
Skateboard Performance Testing
Perform an activity on performance testing with a instructional activity focused on the purpose of wheel bearings on skateboards. Learners conduct performance testing on a skateboard to collect and interpret data.
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Toting the Log and Lifting the Babe
Students use simple machines that demonstrate force, friction, work and power. They investigate and explain simple machines.
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Design Your Own Rube Goldberg Machine
Students participate in a culminating activity for a unit on Energy and Simple Machines. They are challenged to incorporate simple machines in to a complex mechanical system. While designing and testing their machine they will also...
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Testing and Refining Aircraft Design
Students design and make a flying device. They work in small groups to brainstorm ideas for the design of their device. They choose an idea or combination of ideas to use for their design and create a sketch of their design. The students...
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First Class Lever Lab
In this first class lever learning exercise, students investigate the mechanical advantage of this simple machine. Kids change the effort arm and the resistance arm and calculate the resistance force, effort force and the...
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Making Life Easier
Students use a chart of the six simple machines and become aware of how the machines improve our ability to meet the following needs: shelter, food, water, and transportation. Students use model cars to experiment with force. They divide...
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Race the Track! Design Challenge
Students use the design process to investigate physical science. In this force and motion lesson, design a track to achieve a specified outcome. Students complete additional experiments with speed and distance. Students...