What a wonderful way to explore motion and forces! Learners design a catapult, after watching a video and discussing types of catapults. This is a comprehensive and complete lesson with links to supplementary resources.

Students identify when uniform motion occurs. They watch a teacher made PowerPoint explaining the concept of uniform motion and carry out an experiment to understand the concept.

Mathematicians use a CBR 2™ motion detector to determine their speed or velocity going down a playground slide. They also experiment with different ways to increase their speed going down the slide. Finally, students complete the Student...

Students calculate the speed of an object, by measuring the amount of time it takes to cover a given distance, and then divide: speed=distance/time. However, the object may not have been moving at a constant rate over the given distance....

A nine-page physics resource supports your lesson on acceleration. A step-by-step lesson plan walks you through the materials you need, the background information, steps for leading experimentation, and the explanation of the results....

Eighth graders construct various machines and compare the work done by them.

Sixth graders read about and study motion. They conduct a lab in which they calculate speed using track records at their school. They graph the results and then invite a guest speaker (an officer from the local police department) who...

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.

Students dicusss Newton's First Law of Motion. They calculate a projectile moving horizontally and vertically at different intervals. They particpate in an experiment in which the projectile is at an angle. They record and discuss the...

Learners explore speed by calculating the average speed of several snowmobiles, and predicting which of them is the fastest. They watch a race to verify their calculations.

Learners explore the concept of distance v. time. They use a CBR to collect data on their distance over time, then plot their data using a scatter plot and find an equation to model their data. Pupils discuss what if scenarios which...

Young scholars explore the motion of common objects. They make predictions and record results for cars running down different surfaces: sandpaper, rubber, felt, smooth and observe how surface material affects movement.

Students investigate Newton's Third Law of Motion as it exits in real world applications. They watch as the teacher makes a simple balloon powered car before explaining how the motion of the car demonstrates Newton's Third Law of Motion....

High school physicists demonstrate Bernoulli's Principle by blowing on different items and finding that they do not move in the expected direction! They apply Bernoulli's equation to the flight of an airplane. This well-organized lesson...

Pupils explore distance a toy car travels by changing the amount of batteries used to power the toy car.  In this force and motion lesson, students calculate the average speed of a car while investigating the power from various...

How does the depth of an ocean affect the speed of a tsunami's waves? Use Jell-o, graham crackers, and marshmallows to model the effects of an underwater earthquake and its resulting tsunami. The lesson includes hands-on activities,...

Do not let friction drag you down! The 11th segment in a series of 22 focuses on the fourth force acting upon an airplane—drag. Pupils learn about the effects and causes of drag.

Fifth graders explore the relationship between potential energy and kinetic energy.  In this energy lesson, 5th graders examine objects and describe  potential and kinetic energy of the objects. Students complete two worksheets.

Students build parachutes for chicken eggs. In this physics lesson, students describe the forces acting on a falling object. They predict which of the three parachute models they made has the best chance of keeping the egg intact after a...

Students research physical science by completing worksheets. In this gravity lesson plan, students read assigned text regarding the rotation of Earth and the gravitational force caused by the speed of which it rotates. Students complete...

Students calculate a toy car's velocity and acceleration. In this force and motion lesson plan, students build ramps and attach a dropper to a toy car, which is released down the ramp. Students calculate and graph velocity and...

In this constant velocity worksheet, students use data of position vs. time of a roller-skater to determine speed, acceleration, or deceleration at different points along the path. Students rank graphs according to average velocity and...

Students experience the rotation of the Earth and the Sun and the Earth's revolution around the Sun, using a playground mode.

Students calculate acceleration due to gravity with the measurements of the period of a pendulum or measurements of the time for an object to fall from different heights. They observe and measure the effect of air resistance on the...