First Grade, Physics Projects, Lessons, Activities (Page 5)

Balancing Act

STEM Activity

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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

Curl Metals With Heat!

STEM Activity

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Do you like gift wrapping? If you do, you have probably curled a ribbon with scissors before. Have you ever wondered why the ribbon curls when you run a scissor blade down one side of it? The answer is that when you apply pressure on the ribbon with the blade, the outer layer of the ribbon stretches and expands. This makes the outside layer of the ribbon longer than the inside layer that is pressed against the blade. As a result, the ribbon starts to curl to make up for the different lengths of… Read more

How Empty Is an Empty Bottle?

STEM Activity

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3 reviews

Did you know that airplanes and sound have something in common? Can you guess what it might be? Air pressure! It is fascinating how air—something that is so fluid and invisible—can power an amazing number of fascinating phenomena. In this activity you will use your own breath to blow a small paper ball into an empty bottle. It sounds simple, but is it? Try it out and see for yourself! Read more

How High Can a Super Ball Bounce?

Lesson Plan Grade: Kindergarten-5th

Students determine the coefficient of restitution (or the elasticity) for super balls. Working in pairs, they drop balls from a meter height and determine how high they bounce. They measure, record and repeat the process to gather data to calculate average bounce heights and coefficients of elasticity. Then they extrapolate to determine the height the ball would bounce if dropped from much higher heights.Engineering Connection Mechanical engineers select materials that meet… Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

3-PS2-2. Make observations and/or measurements of an object's motion to provide evidence that a pattern can be used to predict future motion.

Hula Hooping with a Rubber Band

STEM Activity

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Are you any good at hula hooping? If not, there is good news: you can do this fun project without any hula hooping experience! You will examine some of the fascinating physics behind hula hooping using just a pencil and a rubber band. Read more

Sound: Can You Feel Music?

Video Lesson Grade: 1st

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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.

What Do You See?

Lesson Plan Grade: 1st

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Human vision is dependent on light. We can only see if the light-sensitive cells on our retina at the back of our eyes get triggered by light entering the eye. As a result, we can only see objects that either are illuminated and reflect light back into our eyes, or objects that emit light. Any object that is in complete darkness is not visible to the human eye. In this lesson plan, students will place different objects inside a box and view them under different light conditions. By doing so,… Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

1-PS4-2. Make observations to construct an evidence-based account that objects in darkness can be seen only when illuminated.

First Grade, Physics Projects, Lessons, Activities (47 results)

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