Young scholars observe how salinity affects the time it takes water to freeze. They participate in an experiment to determine that ice is essentially salt-free whether formed from fresh or salt water

Three memorable activities build on each other to give physics masters a firm grasp of Newton's Second Law. Pupils play with a lab cart on a flat surface and on an incline to confirm that force is equal to mass times acceleration. In the...

Students create ice cream in a bag and snow ice cream to study the effects of freezing on foods.  In this ice cream lesson, students understand the effects of freezing on cells.

Students explore the changing density of water. In this physics lesson, students investigate how an object's density determines whether it will float or sink in water. They explain why this unique property of is important to living things.

Student examine the physical changes of matter and are able to describe them. They make ice cream in plastic bags to observe the changes in matter. They describe and record the changes in the ice cream mixture as it freezes.

Students explore the physical properties of water.  In this water lesson, students observe, measure, and describe water as it changes state. There are 2 extensions for this lesson that one can access via the Internet links provided.

Learners construct a hovercraft following specific procedures. In this technology instructional activity, students explain the physics principles behind hovercraft. They compare and contrast this machine with the aircraft.

Students explore the concepts of force and effort by observing simple machines. In this physics lesson, students attempt to sharpen a pencil without any help, bite into an orange with their lips curled over their teeth, and other...

Students observe the state changes in water. In this matter lesson, students observe, measure, and describe water as it changes state. Students explore how water can change from a solid to a liquid then back again. They journal their...

Eighth graders examine avalanches after reading excerpts from John Muir's book, "The Yosemite." In small groups, they conduct experiments with flour, sugar, and potato flakes representing different snow consistencies. Then, 8th graders...

Students answer the question, "Why do Eskimos build houses out of ice to keep warm. Since heat goes from hot to cold, don¿¿¿t the ice walls take away the warmth inside the house?" They explain how snow or ice can actually be insulators.

Students learn along with Ms. Frizzle's class. In this Magic School Bus lesson plan, students work in small groups to find how movement changes when there is more - and less - friction.

Tenth graders examine chemical reactions.  In this chemistry lesson students choose an investigation that they wish to perform based on their interest.

Students examine and discuss how atoms change from solid to liquid to gas. They inflate a balloon by melting ice that converts to steam, and discuss the results.

Middle schoolers discuss movement of air currents and then experiment to create visible models of air currents. Students connect the model to weather patterns.

Students explain that when forces on an object are balanced, the motion of object does not change. They describe how an object changes its motion when forces on it are unbalanced. They plan and conduct a scientific investigation to test...

Students explore how friction change motion and why friction is important. Students set up an incline plane. They slide wooden blocks down the incline plane and measure the distance from the end of the track that the block moved....

Young scholars study the properties of the frictional force between two surfaces in contact. They inspect various phenomena in nature where friction plays an important role and demonstrate

Fifth graders use common household items to build landforms and simulate weathering and erosion.

Students observe a demonstration on the role of thermal conductivity in heat transfer.  In this thermal conductivity instructional activity, students design and conduct an experiment to compare the thermal conductivity of four...

High schoolers develop a scientific model of gas behavior. In this gas lesson plan, students observe different balloons filled with different densities of gases. They complete an activity where they model the behavior of gases using...

Students investigate the different states of matter by experimenting in class.  For this matter lesson, students participate in a lab activity moving from one station to the next creating different formations of matter....