Push Harder — Newton's Second Law
Grade Range
6th-8th
Group Size
2-4 students
Active Time
75 minutes
Total Time
75 minutes
Area of Science
Physics
Key Concepts
Force, mass, acceleration
Learning Objectives
- Understand the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration as described by Newton's second law of motion.
Credits
Ben Finio, PhD, Science Buddies
![]() OverviewDon't just teach your students about Newton's laws of motion using diagrams in a textbook — try something hands-on! In this project, students will build their own cars using craft materials and explore the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration. Students can graph data and make observations in real-time using Google's Science Journal app or use a low-tech approach with a meter stick and stopwatch.NGSS AlignmentThis lesson helps students prepare for these Next Generation Science Standards Performance Expectations:
Materials![]() Assorted craft materials for students to build cars:
Materials to measure the cars' motion. Which materials you need depends on how you want to do the lesson. See the Explore section for an explanation of the different options.
Reviews |
Grade Range
6th-8th
Group Size
2-4 students
Active Time
75 minutes
Total Time
75 minutes
Area of Science
Physics
Key Concepts
Force, mass, acceleration
Credits
Ben Finio, PhD, Science Buddies
Learning Objectives
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