Elementary School, Physics Projects, Lessons, Activities (Page 10)

STEM Activity

1

2

3

4

5

5 reviews

How do trees suck water all the way up to their leaves? How do paper towels soak up a spill? Are these things related? Try this project to learn about capillary action, and repeat a classic demonstration from over 100 years ago! Read more

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall...

Lesson Plan Grade: 1st

1

2

3

4

5

17 reviews

We see ourselves in a mirror because mirrors reflect light. Light interacts with materials in different ways; for instance, shiny surfaces like mirrors are able to change the direction of light. In this lesson plan, students will demonstrate how light bounces off a reflective surface by redirecting a light beam from a flashlight to different locations within the classroom. Students will then be challenged to use their knowledge about mirrors to find a way to guide a light beam to a specific… Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

1-PS4-3. Plan and conduct investigations to determine the effect of placing objects made with different materials in the path of a beam of light.

Motion Mania: Applying Physics to Hula-Hooping

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Practice makes you better at most things, and knowledge makes practice so much easier! Can you swirl a circular toy called a hula hoop around your waist or arm? Is it hard? What knowledge can you apply to find ways that make hula-hooping easier? Physics! Yes, physics will help you determine what makes one hula hoop a winner and another a flop. In this project, you will create your own hula hoops, spin them, and draw conclusions. The road will then be open to your becoming a hula hoop expert. If… Read more

Pop Goes the Metal: How Temperature Affects Snap Time of a Jumping Disc

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Jumping discs can be a fun toy to play with, and with their sudden POP!, they can even be a good way to startle people who have never heard them before. Jumping discs use a neat trick to jump. They are made of two different types of metal, and these metals expand when they heat up (or shrink when they cool down), but not by exactly the same amount. In this science project you will explore how temperature affects the reactions of your jumping discs— and how to get the timing right if you… Read more

Shaping Hard-boiled Eggs

STEM Activity

1

2

3

4

5

16 reviews

Have you ever played with your food, creating funny faces or colorful edible artworks? In this activity, you can do just that, but with results you might not expect! You will learn a fascinating way to cook and shape boiled eggs, and explore some interesting chemistry about cooking an egg along the way. While exploring the flexibility of hard-boiled eggs, you will create a delicious, odd-shaped reward! Read more

Sound: Can You Feel Music?

Video Lesson Grade: 1st

1

2

3

4

5

4 reviews

Students know that sounds can be heard, but do they know that some sounds can also be felt and seen? In this lesson, students will learn that vibration causes sound and build a fun musical instrument of their own. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

1-PS4-1. Plan and conduct investigations to provide evidence that vibrating materials can make sound and that sound can make materials vibrate.

The Physics of Simulation vs Reality

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Science Buddies has many projects where you build something with moving parts or do an experiment with the physics of moving objects. Here are just a few examples, but this is not an exhaustive list! You can search our site to find many more. Ball launcher (Figure 1) Marble roller coaster (Figure 2) Rube Goldberg machine (Figure 3) Build A Wall Marble Run (Figure 4) Figure 1. A catapult-style ball launcher. … Read more

2022 Paper Ball Run Challenge for Grades 3-5

Lesson Plan Grade: 3rd-5th

1

2

3

4

5

2 reviews

Add a twist to a classic activity with this fun lesson plan. Your students will design and build a ball run for a ping pong ball using nothing but paper and tape. Their goal is to make the slowest ball run possible. How long can they make it take for the ball to go through their ball run? The 2022 competition is over, but you can see what students built and learn about the winners on the 2022 Engineering Challenge summary page. Teachers, note that middle school and high school … Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

3-5-ETS1-2. Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

Balancing Act

STEM Activity

1

2

3

4

5

18 reviews

What makes an object balanced? Look around you—most of the objects in the room are probably balanced and not on the verge of tipping over. If someone hands you an object and asks you to put it down, you probably know, without thinking about it too much, how to place it so it won't fall over. But what's the science behind how an object balances? Why do certain objects only balance on some sides and not others? Try this project to find out! Read more

Build an Ion Wind Rotor

STEM Activity

1

2

3

4

5

3 reviews