Physics

This lesson plan covers major developments and changes in atomic theory, with a focus on the 1800s and 1900s.

Guide subjects
Grade level(s)
9-12
Prep time
15-20 minutes
In-class time
45-55 minutes

This lesson will introduce students to Charles E. Anderson, discuss how weather forecasts are conducted, and give students a chance to try their hand at meteorological forecasting. 

Guide subjects
Grade level(s)
6-8
Prep time
10-15 minutes
In-class time
45-55 minutes

This lesson focuses on the life and work of Émilie du Châtelet. Students will repeat a simpler version of du Châtelet’s own experiment to learn about gravity, understanding that gravity pulls objects down, and that it pulls heavier objects down with more force than lighter objects.

Guide subjects
Grade level(s)
1-3
4-5
Prep time
7-10 minutes
In-class time
40-45 minutes

This lesson plan introduces students to Katherine Clerk Maxwell along with the primary colors of light and color mixing in light.

Guide subjects
Grade level(s)
1-3
Prep time
5-10 minutes
In-class time
35 minutes

In this lesson, students will learn about Eunice Newton Foote's 1856 discovery of the greenhouse effect of carbon dioxide, the historical context she performed her research in, and the implications of her discovery on climate and global warming. Students will watch a video replicating her experiment and learn the science behind the greenhouse effect. At the end of the lesson, students will explore the implications of the greenhouse effect for climate change and other related fields.

Guide subjects
Grade level(s)
6-8
9-12
Prep time
15-20 minutes
In-class time
95-135 minutes

In this lesson, students will learn about Eunice Newton Foote’s 1856 discovery of the Greenhouse Effect of carbon dioxide. Students will recreate her experiment in the lab to learn about the Greenhouse Effect.

Guide subjects
Grade level(s)
9-12
Prep time
15-20 minutes
In-class time
75-90 minutes

Students will be immersed in the state-of-the-art lab of Laura Bassi, an 18th century experimental physicist. They will learn about Bassi and perform simple experiments on subjects Bassi and other scientists were exploring at the time, including static electricity, surface tension, and light refraction. They will record their observations in lab notebooks and graduate from the “Laura Bassi Experimental Physics School” with diplomas.

Guide subjects
Grade level(s)
1-3
4-5
Prep time
20-30 minutes
In-class time
70-95 minutes

This teaching guide introduces the law of inertia and highlights the contributions of scholars during the Islamic Golden Age.

Guide subjects
Grade level(s)
6-8
9-12
College
Prep time
30-60 minutes
In-class time
50-70 minutes

Students will learn about the life of Abdus Salam, the first Muslim Physics Nobel Laureate. Students will also learn about the four fundamental forces.

Guide subjects
Grade level(s)
9-12
College
Prep time
30-60 minutes
In-class time
50-70 minutes

Students will investigate four historical case studies of physicists who some historians and physicists have argued should have won a Nobel Prize: Arnold Sommerfeld, Lise Meitner, Chien-Shiung Wu, and Satyendra Nath Bose. With each Case Study, students examine the historical context surrounding the prize that year (if applicable) as well as potential biases inherent in the structure of the Nobel Prize committee and its selection process. Students will summarize arguments for why these four physicists should have been awarded a Nobel Prize in physics, as well as potential explanations for why they were not awarded the honor.

Grade level(s)
9-12
College
Prep time
15 - 20 minutes
In-class time
50 - 60 minutes