8th Grade Physics Laboratory

Teaching about ENERGY TYPES and transformations is super fun with this EZ hands-on science lab! Energize your students into loving physics with this interactive, cooperative learning, engineering based activity.

Make learning about physics playful and engaging with this simple lab. Your students will design and build a device to experiment with energy types and transformations. All you need is a cup, a balloon, tape and a pom pom (or mini marshmallows)!

I do this lab at the during my physics of energy unit. The kiddos feel like real scientists as they build lab skills, problem solve, cooperate in groups and enjoy the hard work.

What's Included?

★ Clear and easy to follow editable lab worksheet.

★ Focused Practice on Science Process & Observation Skills.

★ Quick Prep Info and Instructor Directions

How To Use This Resource?

★ This hands-on activity can be used with multiple age groups and requires 1-2 class periods to complete.

★ This engineering challenge requires easy-to-access edible materials (cups, balloons, tape, pom-poms!).

★ Use this as a scaffolded inquiry investigation or as an introduction to the engineering process.

Topics Covered in this Hands-On Activity?

★ Energy Categories and Types

★ Energy Transformations

★ Gathering Relavant Data

★ Problem Solving in Cooperative Groups

★ Engineering Process

Nitty Gritty:

With this editable and printable product, students engage in the process of engineering and learn how to create quality engineering solutions. Buildable and testable engineering design solutions are the basis for any good engineering project or engineering fair. This activity allows for practice of important engineering process skills and higher order thinking.

This assignment is aligned with the Middle Years Program, Next Generation state and International Science Standards for Physics and Engineering.

What other teachers have said about Super Star Science products:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️- Stephanie C.H. Loved it!! What an engaging engineering challenge to use in online school and with younger grades! This activity is so well explained and set up. The visuals are very clear and the instructions make it easy to use this challenge without much work ahead of time.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️- Sharon R. My students loved doing this hands on activity and seeing how school subjects work together, like math and science.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️- Britany O. This challenge is easy to use and very straightforward. Kids were excited to show what they created to, not only me, but the other students as well. I highly recommend!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️- Laurel D. What a great resource. I was able to modify it to fit my curriculum easily. I look forward to more resources from this author. Thanks!

★_________________________________________________________★

Check out a few of my other science and engineering resources.

*Static Electricity Stations Lab

*Science Careers & Fields Research Project- "Science 'Ology"

*The Rainbow Lab- Detailed Lab Procedures Practice

*Fun Video Claim, Evidence & Reasoning Analysis Activity Middle School

Purchase a Bundle and SAVE!

*EZ Engineering Bundle

Please visit my at my TeachShare Store: Super Star Science: https://www.TeachShare.com/Store/Super-Star-Science

❣️If you and your kids enjoyed this activity, please leave me a review to get TeachShare credits to buy more great products!❣️

Be sure to FOLLOW me on:

✓ TeachShare to receive notifications of sales, new products and more!

✓Facebook for new products, fun photos and science teaching ideas!

Terms of Use: ©Super Star Science. 

All rights reserved by Kim Karper. This single user product is to be used by the original purchaser only. Please do not share this product with other teachers. If you would like to have multiple users for this document, please note that TeachShare offers multiple license options.

Teaching about ENERGY TYPES and transformations is super fun with this EZ hands-on spooky Halloween science lab! Energize your students into loving physics with this interactive, cooperative learning, engineering based activity.

Make learning about physics playful and engaging with this simple lab. Your students will design and build a device to experiment with energy types and transformations. All you need is a cup, a balloon, tape and a plastic spiders or ping pong balls made to look like eyeballs (or even mini marshmallows)!

I do this lab at the during my physics of energy unit, or as a fun brain break in the days before Halloween. The kiddos feel like real scientists as they build lab skills, problem solve, cooperate in groups and enjoy the hard work.

What's Included?

★ Clear and easy to follow editable lab worksheet.

★ Focused Practice on Science Process and Observation Skills.

★ Quick Prep Info and Instructor Directions

How To Use This Resource?

★ This hands-on activity can be used with multiple age groups and requires 1-2 class periods to complete.

★ This engineering challenge requires easy-to-access edible materials (cups, balloons, plastic spiders or ping pong balls!).

★ Use this as a scaffolded physics of energy inquiry investigation or as an introduction to the engineering process.

Topics Covered in this Hands-On Activity?

★ Energy Categories and Types

★ Energy Transformations

★ Gathering Relavant Data

★ Problem Solving in Cooperative Groups

★ Engineering Process

Nitty Gritty:

With this editable and printable product, students engage in the process of engineering and learn how to create quality engineering solutions. Buildable and testable engineering design solutions are the basis for any good engineering project or engineering fair. This activity allows for practice of important engineering process skills and higher order thinking.

This assignment is aligned with the Middle Years Program, Next Generation, state and International Science Standards for Physics and Engineering.

What other teachers have said about Super Star Science products:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️- Stephanie C.H. Loved it!! What an engaging engineering challenge to use in online school and with younger grades! This activity is so well explained and set up. The visuals are very clear and the instructions make it easy to use this challenge without much work ahead of time.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️- Sharon R. My students loved doing this hands on activity and seeing how school subjects work together, like math and science.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️- Britany O. This challenge is easy to use and very straightforward. Kids were excited to show what they created to, not only me, but the other students as well. I highly recommend!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️- Laurel D. What a great resource. I was able to modify it to fit my curriculum easily. I look forward to more resources from this author. Thanks!

★_________________________________________________________★

Check out a few of my other science and engineering resources.

*Static Electricity Stations Lab

*Science Careers & Fields Research Project- "Science 'Ology"

*The Rainbow Lab- Detailed Lab Procedures Practice

*Fun Video Claim, Evidence & Reasoning Analysis Activity Middle School

Purchase a Bundle and SAVE!

*EZ Engineering Bundle

Please visit my at my TeachShare Store: Super Star Science: https://www.TeachShare.com/Store/Super-Star-Science

❣️If you and your kids enjoyed this activity, please leave me a review to get TeachShare credits to buy more great products!❣️

Be sure to FOLLOW me on:

✓ TeachShare to receive notifications of sales, new products and more!

✓Facebook for new products, fun photos and science teaching ideas!

Terms of Use: ©Super Star Science. 

All rights reserved by Kim Karper. This single user product is to be used by the original purchaser only. Please do not share this product with other teachers. If you would like to have multiple users for this document, please note that TeachShare offers multiple license options.

Engage your students with this lab experience designed to investigate mass, weight and calculating W=mg. This resource is a great way to practice the skills of measuring mass and weight, noting the difference in the measurements, calculating W=mg and connecting the relationship between mass and weight. 

This resource covers

• Making Predictions About Outcomes
• Using Measuring Tools - Triple Beam Balance/Scale and Spring Scale
• Measuring Mass
• Measuring Weight
• Calculating W=mg
• Comparing Calculated vs. Measured Values

Not every student needs the same support! This resource comes with 2 different student recording sheets. One to help learners that need more support and another for more independent students.

Includes:

• Teacher Guide
• 2 Versions of the Student Procedures and Answer Sheet
• Answer Keys
• BONUS Extension Activity: Acceleration Due to Gravity On Other Planets Research

Materials Needed:

• Triple Beam Balance or Digital Scale
• Spring Scale
• Several small objects of different masses
• Calculator

One "mini" lab that will help students observe and make connections that energy cannot be created or destroyed.

These short activities reinforce or introduce concepts to students. I call these activities “mini labs” because they are simple activities that do not take the whole class period. They are also activities that are safe for use in the classroom and do not have to be done in a lab or with any specialty equipment or materials.

Materials Needed

• 1-1.5 m length of string
• Pencil with an eraser
• Meter stick
• Level
• Pendulum Bob (I have substituted a fishing weight or mass with a hook when I did not have these available in my lab)
• Nail or hook above whiteboard (A 3M hook is great for this, no tools needed to install and does not hurt the walls!
• Whiteboard/Chalkboard (I have also used large sheets of paper on the wall for multiple stations)

For Middle School this supports or extends NGSS: MS PS3-5

For High School this supports MS PS2-2

Distance learning or need a digital copy to assign?

• No problem! This activity now includes a Google Slides options! Ready to go, no prep needed from you!

Three Forms of Use Included

1. Printable PDF
2. Google Slides