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Physics Tug of War
Learners set up books with rubber bands stretched between the books. When two identical books are stretched apart and released, they move back toward each other an equal distance.
Good News: We're on the Rise!
Learners build a simple aneroid barometer to learn about changes in barometric pressure and weather forecasting. They observe their barometer and record data over a period of days.
How Far?
To learn how friction affects motion, learners build a measurement tool from a rubber band and other simple materials.
Perching Parrot
Learners explore the concepts of equilibrium and center of mass by seeing how non-symmetrical objects balance.
Hovercraft Racers!
Learners build a simple hovercraft using air from a balloon to levitate a craft made from a compact disc (CD).
Egg-cellent Landing
Learners recreate the classic egg-drop experiment with an analogy to the Mars rover landing. The concept of terminal velocity will be introduced, and learners perform several velocity calculations.
Action-Reaction Rocket!
Learners construct a rocket from a balloon propelled along a guide string.
Blow-and-Go Parachute
Learners make a skydiver and parachute contraption and launch it. They see that the drag created by air resistance slows the descent of skydivers as they travel back to Earth.
Hanging Around
Learners investigate weight by building a spring scale. They observe and record how it responds to objects with different masses.
A Merry-Go-Round for Dirty Air
Learners build a model of a pollution control device--a cyclone. A cyclone works by whirling the polluted air in a circle and accumulating particles on the edges of the container.
Leaning Tower of Pasta
Learners build structures from spaghetti and marshmallows to determine which structures are able to handle the greatest load.
Swing in Time
Learners build and investigate pendulums of different lengths. They discover that the longer the string of the pendulum, the longer the time it takes to swing.
How Do Things Fall?
Learners engage in close observation of falling objects. They determine it is the amount of air resistance, not the weight of an object, which determines how quickly an object falls.
Skateboard Disaster
Learners examine collisions between two skateboards carrying different masses. They learn about conservation of momentum in collisions.
Bend That Bar
Learners play the role of materials engineers as they test the flexibility of different materials.
Breaking Beams
Learners investigate stress and strain by designing, building, and testing beams made from polymer clay.
Super Spinners
Learners build at least two different spinners (tops) to investigate how mass distribution, size, and shape affect the length of time the spinner spins.