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Listed under:  Science  >  Forces and energy  >  Mechanical energy  >  Motion
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Stomp Rocket Design Challenge

This resource provides a scaffold for students to complete a design challenge. The design challenge requires students to create a stomp rocket that can travel to a chosen planet in the solar system. The design challenge can also be used to investigate forces and energy. It can be delivered over a number of lessons, or it ...

Online

Sphero slalom lesson

In this lesson students explore slalom sports and how competitors maximise speed when completing a course. Students research different slalom sports and then share their findings with the class. Students investigate the impact of distance and friction on time to complete a course through digital and unplugged activities. ...

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Physics of video games lesson

In this lesson students build a simple Pong game in Scratch and consider the physics involved in the game play. They then apply their understanding of force and motion to design their own video game concept. The resource includes links to downloadable lesson plan, websites, videos, apps and an assessment rubric. The lesson ...

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Balancing Sculptures

This activity invites students to explore balance and stability by designing and building whimsical kinetic sculptures that tilt, slide, and suspend everyday objects and ordinary materials into surprising arrangements. Students explore stability, centres of gravity, balanced forces and symmetry through this hands-on, tactile ...

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Cranky Contraptions

This activity invites students to make Cranky Contraptions, kinetic sculptures that animate a character or scene when a handle is turned. These automata are powered by a simple crank slider mechanism which provides the basic motion. Everyday materials around can be repurposed into these contraptions. The activity includes ...

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Balance

This activity invites students to explore the phenomena of balance and investigate the question, 'Can you find at least three different ways of balancing three identical weights on a balance board?' Students work with a simple balance (e.g., a ruler as the balance board, a toilet-paper-tube fulcrum, and coins as weights), ...

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Industrial design challenge – separating materials lesson

is lesson provides a great introduction to the idea of separating mixtures and enables students to consider separation as a process that operates on macroscopic levels. Students also learn about waste management and recycling processes in Australia. The lesson provides students with an opportunity to engage in hands-on ...

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Work sample Foundation Year Science: Watch it move

This work sample demonstrates evidence of student learning in relation to aspects of the achievement standards for Foundation Year Science. The primary purpose for the work sample is to demonstrate the standard, so the focus is on what is evident in the sample not how it was created. The sample is an authentic representation ...

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Cardboard Automata

This activity invites students to explore simple mechanical elements such as cams, levers, and linkages, while creating a moving sculpture. This activity is simple to start but may become more and more complex as students become familiar with possible motions and imagine ways to artistically decorate their contraption. ...

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Whimsical Whirligigs

This activity invites students to design and make Whimsical Whirligigs, kinetic contraptions that can be powered by wind, crank, or motor. Students can create wind-powered paper creatures or machines with moving parts. A The activity includes a list of tools and materials required, assembly instructions, inspiration and ...

Interactive

Thermal comfort – sustainability action process (Years 3–6)

This thermal comfort learning resource will guide students through an extended school based investigation. Students will develop and implement a chosen sustainability action and then evaluate and reflect on their success and their learning.

Interactive

Sites2See: Surf safety

A webpage about surfing safety, dangerous waves and rips, and the history and science of surfing. A 'For Kids' section provides games and quizzes for young swimmers and surfers.

Video

Catalyst: Why do astronauts float in space?

Have you wondered what it would be like to be an astronaut floating around in the International Space Station? In this clip, Catalyst's Dr Derek Muller investigates what causes this weightlessness in space. Derek challenges some people visiting the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney to explain why they think astronauts float. ...

Interactive

Factors that Affect Braking Distance

Students use this resource consisting of ten slides with diagrams, written explanation and voice-over to understand that the braking distance of a car depends on its speed and other factors which affect the frictional forces needed to stop the car. There is a two-question quiz and a summary slide.

Interactive

Factors Affecting Thinking Distance

Students use this resource consisting of nine slides with diagrams, written explanation and voice-over to understand that the stopping distance of a car depends on the alertness of the driver as well as its speed and frictional forces. There is a two-question quiz and a summary slide.

Interactive

Laptop wrap: Project projectiles

A laptop-friendly resource focussed on the motion of projectiles, with links to video experiments and interactive websites that can assist students to develop a conceptual understanding of this type of motion.

Video

Sports motion

This four and a half minute video segment from Catalyst provides an example of how a datalogger can be used to monitor aspects of an athlete's motion and technique. It gives examples of how science and technology interact to benefit training for a range of sports.

Online

Motion in a straight line

This is a teacher resource for motion in a straight line consisting of a website and a PDF with identical content. It contains discussion of the concepts of position, displacement, velocity, acceleration and speed. It shows how these concepts may be used to motivate the study of calculus and at the same time demonstrate ...

Video

Elliot and the Surfing Scientist: Making a mini-rocket

Have you ever seen someone create a rocket using a soft drink bottle? In this clip, Surfing Scientist Ruben Meerman attempts to 'supersize science'. You will find out how he made a model rocket and see slow-motion footage of the rocket as it shoots up into the sky.

Interactive

Measuring Speed

Students use this resource consisting of eleven slides with diagrams, written explanation and voice-over to understand how to work out the speed of a moving object and understand how to make calculations using the relationship between speed, distance and time. There is a two-question quiz and a summary slide.