Curated OER
Homemade Barometer
To reinforce the action of air pressure, have your meteorology pupils construct a barometer. They place the barometer into a closed system, a miniature atmosphere if you will, and notice the movement of the needle on the homemade...
Curated OER
Demonstration of Ideal Gas Law
You know that liquid nitrogen turns into a gas at room temperature. Place some in a two-liter bottle for a physics demonstration of the ideal gas law. Beware, however; this is a dangerous demonstration! Not to mention that you may not...
Curated OER
Weather and Climate
It's hot today, but is that the weather or the climate? This colorful presentation isolates both concepts to allow for better understanding by covering the positioning of the planet, making comparisons of land versus water, and looking...
University of Southern California
Design and Test an Air Lift Siphon
Build an air lift siphon using your mad physics skills! Learners first investigate the importance of circulating water in aquaponics systems. They then use density to their advantage as they engineer an air lift siphon
Illinois Valley Community College
STEM Activities for Middle School Students
Use STEM activities within the class to provide connections to concepts. The resource includes activities that range from working with buoyancy to building rockets and launching them. Other activities involve the engineering design...
Teach Engineering
Model Heart Valves
Small groups use the knowledge learned about the heart to design and build a prototype of an artificial heart valve. The teams demonstrate the functionality of their valve. They are also responsible for creating a pamphlet that describes...
Curated OER
Kite Experiments and Building Information
Students build their own kite following certain procedures. In this physics lesson, students explain the aerodynamics concepts involved in flying kites. They trace the development of aviation.
Curated OER
Learning Lesson: Measure the Pressure -- The "Wet" Barometer
Students use simple objects to create their own barometer. They have five days to build it and ten days to observe and collect data. They examine thunderstorm safety tips to end the lesson.
Curated OER
Learning Lesson: Measure the Pressure II -- The "Dry" Barometer
Students use simple items to create their own aneroid barometer. They have five days to build it and ten days to observe and collect data. They examine tornado safety tips to end the activity.
Chymist
Determination of the Volume of CO2 in Pop Rocks
Where does the pop in pop rocks come from? An engaging activity asks scholars to measure the amount of carbon dioxide in a package of Pop Rocks candy. Learners dissolve the candy in water and use the solubility of CO2 to determine its mass.
American Chemical Society
Soda Can Steam Engine
Steam engines have been around since the late 1600s, yet most pupils don't know how they work. Using an soda can, the instructor builds a simple steam engine for scholars to observe. Through a discussion, young scientists learn about the...
Virginia Department of Education
Charles’ Law
Searching for a relatively interesting way to demonstrate Charles' Law? Here is a lesson in which pupils heat air inside a flask and then cool the flask to quickly cool the air. They make observations about what occurs during the cooling...
NOAA
What's the Big Deal?
Who knew that a possible answer to Earth's energy resource problems was lurking deep beneath the ocean's surface? Part four of a six-part series introduces Earth Science pupils to methane hydrate, a waste product of methanogens. After...
Curated OER
Ocean Murals
Students identify characteristics of water. They describe the process by which light decreases and pressure increases as water depth increases. They demonstrate the principle of water pressure in a small group experiment.
Curated OER
PBS - Scientific American Frontier:Affairs of the Heart:Teaching Guide:Exploring Vessel Physics
Students explore the relationship between pressure and vessel diameter. They are given an open-ended design challenge in which they engineer their own remote repair device. Students see a model that represents how elevated blood...
Curated OER
Build a Rain Gauge
Learners use a glass container, coat hanger, measuring spoons, and more to make their own rain gauge. In this rain gauge lesson plan students measure the rain.
Curated OER
Weather Watchers
Students study basic meteorology concepts. They build a simple barometer to measure air pressure. They explore the concepts of relative humidity, air convection currents and temperature inversions and to discover their connection to...
Center for Precollegiate Education and Training
Buoyancy Boats
What did the sea say to the boat? Nothing, it just waved. An inquiry-based lesson starts with a simple concept on the Archimedes Principle and challenges pupils to make something out of clay that floats. Then, they design an object out...
DiscoverE
Pipe Maze
Here's a lesson that is simply a-MAZE-ing! Introduce science scholars to pipeline systems through a hands-on project. Partnered pupils participate in the design, construct, and test a PVC pipeline maze. Reusable materials and clear...
Teach Engineering
Cartesian Diver
Amaze your scholars with an activity that uses a Cartesian diver to demonstrate Pascal's Law, Archimedes' Principle, and the Ideal Gas Law. Groups then repeat the process and make their own diver move up and down in a bottle.
NOAA
A Quest for Anomalies
Sometimes scientists learn more from unexpected findings than from routine analysis! Junior oceanographers dive deep to explore hydrothermal vent communities in the fourth lesson in a series of five. Scholars examine data and look for...
Curated OER
PV=nRT=Bang!
In this ideal gas law worksheet, students watch a demonstration using liquid nitrogen, a plastic 2 liter bottle and a garbage can of water that excites students to use the ideal gas law to solve problems. Students analyze the results of...
Curated OER
Aerospace Engineering
Twelfth graders examine the physics of rocket flight. They build and launch model rockets to measure their performances.
Curated OER
Ohm's Law
In this electricity law worksheet, students complete 16 short answer and problem questions on Ohm's law. They calculate the voltage, current and resistance in the circuit.