Grades:
6th Grade
Over 2 days (60 min or more each day), students create a catapult out of jumbo popsicle sticks, a water bottle cap and rubber bands. The challenge is for students to launch their snowball (cotton ball
Grades:
4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade
This is the first lesson in a series of 4. Students gain an understanding of the forces that are acting upon a drone when it is flying. They will learn about how thrust, weight, lift and drag work
Grades:
4th Grade, 5th Grade
In this hands-on lesson, students will explore how speed is calculated, what inertia is and apply it to Newton’s Laws of Motion. They use the engineering design process to construct race cars out of
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Salt Lamps and Plants
Grades:
7th Grade, 8th Grade
Students in this lesson will set up an investigation to see if a salt lamp affects plant growth. They will use what they know about photosynthesis and cellular respiration to make sure the plants have
Grades:
6th Grade
In this 1-day lesson, students are challenged to collaborate with their teams to create a plan and use PVC halves to transport 1 golf ball 75 feet without touching the ball or allowing the ball to
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Flying High: Airplane Design
Grades:
5th Grade
In this engaging lesson, students explore the forces of flight and use the Engineering Design Process to improve the flight times and distance traveled with a paper airplane. Resources are included
Grades:
1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade
This lesson takes place over three hour-long, before- school STEAM club meetings. Students will discuss and learning about weather and climate. Then they will complete an engineering challenge to
Grades:
7th Grade
This lesson is about building and testing a Ferris Wheel and the history behind it. Students should be familiar with the concepts of forces, motion, and gravity before starting this project. They
Grades:
9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
This lesson uses a Modeling Instruction approach to developing the graphical and mathematical relationship commonly known as Newton's 2nd Law for students in Grades 9-12. Students design an experiment
Grades:
7th Grade
In this interactive lesson, students will create a Duplo Lego Vehicle and test how forces affect motion. Students will be placed in groups of 3-4 and be given a force to test. They will decide which
Grades:
7th Grade
In this interactive lesson, students take three days to create a maze using Gravitrax kits and pieces. Students then use their maze to create a model and explain where they see Newton's Laws of Motion
Grades:
5th Grade
Students experience the process of creating a whole elevator-shaft design complete with a car and a pulley system. They will experience an integrated STEAM lesson with combined content from Science
Grades:
1st Grade
In this hands-on lesson, students use the engineering design process to create a balloon powered car that travels at least 5 feet. This is a fun and engaging way for students to experience science in
Grades:
10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
This lesson involves students calculating the density of various objects of differing sizes of the same substance. Each student group will need a balance, a ruler, and/or a graduated cylinder. They
Grades:
6th Grade
To demonstrate their understanding of how energy is passed throughout an ecosystem and the symbiotic relationships of organisms within an ecosystem, students construct a food web marble run. This
Grades:
5th Grade
This hands-on lesson covers balanced and unbalanced forces. Students use the skills they have already been taught to apply them to a real-world situation involving rockets. You will need 500mL bottles
Grades:
5th Grade
This lesson has an emphasis on explaining what is force. It also has an emphasis on explaining how you can see and measure force. For this lesson you need several empty plastic bottles, rubber bands
Grades:
6th Grade, 7th Grade
Students will learn basic concepts of physics, including velocity, motion, and vector. S tudents will develop and use a model to predict how forces act on objects at a distance. Finally students will
Grades:
3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade
Students discover kite-making in this hands-on lesson! They create a kite with a variety of materials and test out the final product. This lesson can be adapted to fit different grade levels.
Grades:
5th Grade
In this hands-on lesson, students code Edison robots to run races and play tug of war. They will run experiments, measure results, and graph the data. Videos and additional resources are included!
Grades:
5th Grade
Students will begin to construct their containers for their eggs. Students will work together to build their egg protector container using the materials they brought in and that were provided for them
Grades:
4th Grade, 5th Grade
In this hands-on lesson, students design a safety device (car/seatbelt) that can keep an egg (passenger) safe during a collision. The goal is to protect the egg from cracking during a roll down a ramp
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Parachutes - Air Resistance
Grades:
6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade
This middle school lesson covers the concept of air resistance. Students work in teams of 3 with a list of materials to design, build, and test 3 parachutes that will maximize the air resistance of a
Grades:
5th Grade
Students will use multiple modes of learning to learn about how force is affected by mass changes. The book Newton and Me will be read aloud and used for a discussion. Finally students will construct
Featured Lesson Plans
Check out these notable lesson plans.
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Animal Life Cycles: Lesson 5
Grades:
1st Grade
This is lesson 5 of the Life Science Unit. Students describe the life cycle of a chosen animal through photography or stop animation. This engaging lesson includes optional fiction read-alouds
Grades:
1st Grade
This is lesson 4 of the Life Science Unit. Students will evaluate and identify how the features of a young animal offspring and parent are similar (not identical) and different. They will code the
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Animal Habitats: Lesson 3
Grades:
1st Grade
This is lesson 3 of the Life Science Unit. Students design a habitat for an organism using earth material. Links to all lessons and optional fiction read-alouds, picture sorts, STEM hands-on