You can make experiments the most fun and engaging part of your science class. Experienced educators and curriculum specialists have developed each of these lessons, and we have tested them in real classrooms. PocketLab middle school lessons span across all the Next Generation Science Standard (NGSS) disciplines. Browse all the middle school lessons below or use the filters to search for specific content.
Middle School Science
Momentum Pendulum Rides the PocketLab HotRod
The Momentum Pendulum
The momentum pendulum is shown in Figure 1. A frame (red) to hold the pendulum was printed on a 3D printer. The STL file in included with this lesson. The frame is solidly attached to the PocketLab HotRod with three damage-free hanging strips. A roughly 3" diameter wood ball with a screw eye attached to the top of the ball is hung from a bifilar suspension so that the ball will swing in a plane. Two small holes at the top of the frame provide an easy way to prepare the string suspension. The smaller set of wheels are used with the HotRod, and
PocketLab Air: Measuring Ozone
Background Information about Ozone
Ozone (O3) in our atmosphere is both good and bad. There is a helpful saying to remember is, “Ozone: good up high, bad nearby.” The “good” ozone is ozone high in our atmosphere that is part of the ozone layer. The ozone layer protects us from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. “Bad” ozone is ozone that occurs at ground level, where it can be inhaled. Ground level ozone is a pollutant and creates smog.
PocketLab Air: Measuring Particulate Matter
Background Information on Particulate Matter
Particulate matter consists of small particles suspended in the atmosphere. Dust, pollen, sea salt, soil particles, mold, soot, smoke, and other fine substances create a mixture of particulate matter that we inhale with every breath. According to the EPA, particulate matter greater than 10 micrometers is generally filtered away in our nose and throat. Particulates less than 10 micrometers can often pass into the lungs.
PocketLab Air: Measuring Carbon Dioxide
Background Information
Carbon dioxide circulates naturally in Earth’s atmosphere as part of the carbon cycle (the process in which carbon dioxide is exchanged between the atmosphere, oceans, soil, plants, and animals). According to the EPA, since the industrial revolution, humans have altered the carbon cycle through activities like burning fossil fuels, which adds CO2 to the cycle, and deforestation which reduces natural ways in which CO2 is removed.
Air Quality Lesson Plans
Free Air Quality Lesson Plans
Bring the science of air quality into your classroom through hands-on activities, inquiry-based lessons and real science tools. These high quality lessons plans are free to download and were developed by King's University in conjunction with Telus World of Science in Edmonton.
Thermal Energy Particle Motion Experiment
How does adding thermal energy affect the particle motion of a gas?
NGSS Alignment: MS-PS3-4
The disciplinary core idea behind this standard is PS3.A: Definitions of Energy and PS3.B: Conservation fo Energy and Energy Transfer. In PS3 the standard specifically looks at how temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles of matter. This leads to the conclusion that the temperature and the total energy of a system depend on the type, states, and the amounts of matter present.
Newton's First and Second Law of Motion Lesson Plan
Investigating an Object’s Motion: Newton's First Law and Second Law
How to teach NGSS MS-PS2-2: Newton's Second Law
Using a Half-Atwood Machine for Newton's Second Law
The Half-Atwood Machine consists of a cart and a weight connected by a string. It can be a perfect tool for tackling NGSS MS-PS2-2, which is centered around planning an investigation into Newton’s Second Law. Specifically, the standard says:
Plan an investigation to provide evidence that the change in an object’s motion depends on the sum of the forces on the object and the mass of the object.
Newton’s Third Law Experiment with Crash Cushions
Engineering Crash Cushions to Learn Newton's Third Law
Newton's Third Law Example
Car crashes are a dangerous example of Newton's Third Law. The car exerts a large force on the wall and the wall then exerts a large force back onto the car. Civil engineers are always trying to think of new ways to make highways safer. Building crash cushions along highways that reduce the impact force of the collision will, according to Newton's Third Law, also reduce force experienced by the passengers of the car. This can save lives.
How to teach NGSS MS-PS2-1: Newton's Third Law
Using PocketLab to Teach MS-PS2-1: Engineering Design and Newton's Third Law
NGSS Standard MS-PS2-1: What's in the standard?
Teaching NGSS Standard MS-PS2-1 can have challenges. Students need to apply principles in forces and motion to engineer a design that will solve a problem. The performance expectation for the standard states: Apply Newton’s Third Law to design a solution to a problem involving the motion of two colliding objects.