Exploration Science

Vector Addition Board Game ActivityA "board game" that teaches students vector addition. Students create a vector map as they travel west to Oregon City. The game contains practice problems including right angles, non-right angles, multiple vectors, vector component addition, and the vector "river problem". Document Highlights:Game-Based Learning: Unique and immersive: Transports students to the Oregon Trail while teaching vectors. Engages critical thinking: Challenges students to solve vector a

In this project based learning unit students will build and race pinewood derby cars. Throughout the course of the project students will learn about energy and systems. The unit culminates in a pinewood derby tournament. This is perfect for inspiring your students and bringing energy concepts to life. The unit will take about 3 weeks to complete. Documents Include:- Lesson pacing and structure (for the teachers) - Activities - Presentations - Lab Templates - Rubrics Key Concepts:- Gravitationa

This unit delves into the intricate interactions between Earth's energy systems and climate, offering students an in-depth exploration of how energy influences our environment. From analyzing energy models in everyday homes to investigating the broader dynamics of Earth's energy budget, this curriculum equips students with the knowledge to understand and address climate issues. Students will engage in hands-on activities, simulations, and critical analysis to explore energy sources, natural and

This lesson and activities introduce students to the concept of feedback loops (positive and negative) and their crucial role in Earth's climate system. Through interactive activities and thought-provoking examples, students will explore how various factors interact to either stabilize or amplify changes in our planet's climate. Materials Provided PowerPoint PresentationStudent Activities HandoutComprehensive Answer Key Learning Objectives By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

This comprehensive IB Physics SL/HL 2025 Activity Bundle features 57 engaging, hands-on activities and guided inquiry lessons designed to complement the IB Physics curriculum. While not officially associated with or endorsed by the International Baccalaureate Organization, this collection has been carefully curated by an experienced physics teacher to align with all units and major concepts covered in the IB Physics SL/HL 2025 course. The bundle includes a diverse range of resources, primarily c

The Sustainable House Project is an engaging, hands-on lesson designed to teach students about sustainable building practices and environmental responsibility. Over the course of 2 to 3 days, students will design a house with minimal environmental impact, manage a budget, and justify their design choices. This comprehensive project integrates concepts of energy efficiency, renewable resources, and sustainability, providing students with practical experience in eco-friendly architecture. Material

This introduces students to the concepts of correlation and causation, applying these principles to the critical issue of climate change. Students will explore the relationship between human activities and global climate patterns, developing essential analytical skills while gaining insights into one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. Materials Provided PowerPoint presentationStudent activities handoutComprehensive answer keyLearning Objectives By the end of this lesson

Will you sink or float? This STEM cardboard boat project is intended for schools with access to a pool or lake. In the project students learn about buoyancy and apply the principles to develop a cardboard boat capable of carrying 2 people. The students work through the design cycle as they build prototypes, do research, and modify their boats. The project lasts around 7 class periods, culminating in a competition on the last day. Files include PowerPoints and handouts. The project was designed f

Unit Description: Embark on an exciting 2-week journey exploring the origins of our universe! This Big Bang unit is designed to captivate students' imaginations and spark their curiosity about cosmic beginnings. Through a mix of hands-on activities, data analysis, and guided inquiry, students will uncover the evidence behind one of science's most fascinating theories. From inflating balloons to simulate the expanding universe to decoding the secrets hidden in starlight, each lesson offers a uniq

This engaging project-based learning (PBL) unit delves into fundamental physics principles, focusing on Newton’s laws of motion, momentum, impulse, and engineering design. Students will apply these concepts and design a crumple zone device that safeguards an egg during a collision. The core learning objectives revolve around understanding Newton's second law, the conservation of momentum, and impulse - all while fostering critical thinking, creativity, and engineering skills. Lessons Lesson 1: W

This comprehensive AP Physics 2 Activity Bundle features 26 engaging, hands-on activities and guided inquiry lessons designed to complement the AP Physics 2 curriculum. While not officially associated with or endorsed by the College Board's AP program, this collection has been carefully curated by an experienced physics teacher to align with all units and major concepts covered in AP Physics 2. The bundle includes a diverse range of resources, primarily consisting of hands-on and guided inquiry

This lesson explores the concept of redshift and its implications for understanding the expansion of the universe and the Big Bang theory. Students will investigate the relationship between the motion of distant galaxies and the observed shift in their spectral lines, as well as the Hubble graph that demonstrates the linear relationship between galaxy distance and velocity. Materials Provided:Presentation: "Red Shift Data""Redshift and Big Bang" ActivityAnswer Key for the "Redshift and Big Bang"

This comprehensive AP Physics 1 Activity Bundle features 29 engaging, hands-on lab activities and guided inquiry lessons designed to complement the AP Physics 1 curriculum. While not officially associated with or endorsed by the College Board's AP program, this collection has been carefully curated by an experienced physics teacher to align with all units and major concepts covered in AP Physics 1. The bundle includes a diverse range of resources, primarily consisting of hands-on and guided inqu

The Complete Physics Activities Bundle is designed for middle and high school levels, including AP Physics 1, AP Physics 2, IB Physics HL, and NGSS-aligned courses. Covering a wide spectrum of topics, this comprehensive bundle provides a rich array of resources essential for any physics educator. Who am I?I am an award-winning physics educator and curriculum writer known for my dynamic approach to teaching physics. With a background in teaching both in the United States and internationally, I fo

Hands-On Centripetal Force Lab for Mastering Circular Motion ConceptsThis comprehensive lab guide allows students to actively investigate the factors affecting circular motion using real equipment like tubes, strings, masses, and timers. The inquiry-based activities enable first-hand data collection and analysis of period, velocity, acceleration, centripetal force, and the effect of mass on tangential velocity. Key ComponentsStep-by-step equipment setup instructionsData tables for gathering revo

Learn about buoyancy with this engaging and hands-on lesson! Students will explore why objects sink or float, understand Archimedes' Principle, and apply their knowledge to design and build their own boat in a hands-on lab. Materials Provided: Interactive PowerPoint presentationStudent handout with activities and challengeComprehensive answer keyLearning Objectives By the end of this lesson, students will be able to: Explain the concept of buoyancy and its relationship to densityApply Archimedes

Who will win: beaver vs. elk? This lesson covers competition, keystone species, and trophic cascades. In the lesson, students will work through an online food web simulation that explores the effect of competition on population dynamics. Presentation - Competition and Food WebsThe presentation includes discussion questions and videos related to competition, keystone species, and trophic cascades. Student Activity Guide - Food Web SimulationIn this activity, students use an online simulation to

This 2-3 week unit guides students through key concepts in astrophysics, from understanding stellar distances to exploring the fate of the universe. Each lesson is designed to be completed in one class period, with hands-on activities and investigations to reinforce learning. Learning ObjectivesBy the end of this unit, students will be able to: Explain and apply the concept of parallax to measure stellar distancesDescribe the expansion of the universe using the balloon modelAnalyze redshift data

Can you make the perfect cup of tea? This lesson challenges the students to make the perfect temperature cup of tea. Students must combine ice and boiling water to produce the desired temperature. Before attempting to make the tea, students use equations for heat transfer and phase change to determine the exact masses needed. Objectives: temperature, internal energy, specific heat capacity, phase changes, and latent heat. The lesson has been aligned to both IB and AP standards. Lesson Includes

Interactive Uniform Circular Motion Lesson with PhET SimulationThis uniform circular motion lesson plan leverages the PhET "Ladybug Revolution" simulation to actively engage high school and introductory physics students in learning core concepts like angular velocity, tangential velocity, centripetal acceleration, period, frequency, and the relationships between linear and angular motion variables. Students will use the digital interactive simulation to model real-world rotational physics and de