Lesson Plan
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Newton's Third Law of Motion

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students move through five stations demonstrating Newton's Third Law of Motion. In this Newtonian physics lesson, students watch as the instructor uses a firecracker to demonstrate action and reaction. The students travel to five...
Lesson Plan
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Learning the Basic Levers...One, Two, Three: Different Basic Arrangements Levers

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders read information about levers. They complete worksheets to summarize their learning. This instructional activity relies heavily on the Silver Burdett Ginn text, Science Discovery Works, Energy, Work, and Machines. The...
Lesson Plan
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Block and Tackle

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students simulate block and tackles to lift heavy objects. They lift cargo by hand with the whip and the two-fold purchase to simujlate what crew members do aboard ships. They measure the effort and distance pulled for a gun tackle, luff...
Lesson Plan
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Fluid Friction

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students, using wood blocks and model boats, investigate how the shape of an object affects friction it encounters as it is drawn through a towing tank.
Lesson Plan
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Suspension Bridge

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students view a video clip about suspension bridges. They discover what forces support this type of bridge. They build their own suspension bridge using classroom materials.
Lesson Plan
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Simple Machines - Graphics, Experiments, Animation

For Teachers 12th
Twelfth graders display simple machines through the use of graphics, experiments, and animation. They apply problem solving and design and skills.
Lesson Plan
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Simple Machines

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders examine and identify the six types of simple machines. Using a model of each simple machine, they demonstrate the state the function of them to the class. They discover examples of simple machines at school and home and...
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Simple Machines

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders choose a simple machine and write about they way they believe it will work. Students experiment, write down procedures used and record observations. They will find a picture of the machine and add it to their report.
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A Focus on Mechanical Friction

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners explore mechanical friction. They perform experiments to observe the direction of mechanical motion and the difference between rolling and sliding friction. Data results on the experiments are recorded and students answer...
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Simple Machines make work easier.

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine how simple machine work can make work easier.  In this machines lesson students complete an activity that shows them what makes up a machine, and how to measure displacement and velocity. 
Organizer
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Simple Machines

For Students 7th - 10th
In this simple machines activity, students review the different types of simple machines and examples of each machine. This activity, has 1 graphic organizer and 6 short answer questions.
Worksheet
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Mechanical Advantage

For Students 10th - 12th
In this mechanical advantage worksheet, students use the equation for mechanical advantage to solve for output force or input force. Students complete 3 problems.
Lesson Plan
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Challenger's Lost Lessons - The Lost Simple Machines Lesson

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students investigate the characteristics of simple machines. In this simple machine instructional activity, students investigate work as a product of applying constant force. They answer questions about what happens on Earth and what may...
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Let Us Bond Together

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders paricipate in a demonstration about bond strengths and bond types.
Lesson Plan
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Levers

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students brainstorm if they think that any lever would use the same amount of paperclips. They break into small groups and use a data sheet as well as a lever, Lego person, fulcrum, and some paperclips and prove what they think by taking...
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Move It!

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders examine simple machines. In this simple machines lesson, 3rd graders observe simple machines at work in a video, then experiment with creating their own simple machines to move objects.  
Worksheet
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The Lever Family

For Students 9th - 12th
In this lever instructional activity, students determine the ideal mechanical advantage for different classes of levers. This instructional activity has 6 problems to solve.
Interactive
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Galileo Galilei Questions for Study

For Students 9th - 12th
In this online interactive philosophy worksheet, students respond to 10 short answer and essay questions about Galileo's contributions to science. 
Lesson Plan
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Inclined Planes

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Young scholars break into small groups with each group using 3 books, a board with pulleys attached at both ends, a toy cart, a small paper cup with a long piece of string attached the end and some pennies. They test their guesses to see...
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Simple Machines or Are They?

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Learners discover basic machines and how they make completing work easier. They identify two basic machines, the inclined plane and the lever and the functions of these simple machines.
Lesson Plan
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Finding Simple Machines in Farm Machinery

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students identify simple machines and how they must work together to form a piece of equipment used in agriculture. They create a diagram of a piece of farm equipment and write about two of the simple machines they drew.
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Newton's Second Law: Mass-Acceleration Relationship with Dynamics Carts

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students form their own hypothesis about the relationships between force, mass, and acceleration for their dynamics cart system. They collect data and express it in a graphical format to visualize the relationships.
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Simple Machine Test

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students complete several worksheets about machines.  In this machine lesson students complete several handouts that describe the different machines  and how pulleys work. 
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Wheel & Axle Tractor

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Students design and build a tractor using LEGO materials. They write and draw their designs.