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Week 1: Physics Fundamentals
Discover the four fundamental forces of the universe and how to detect two of them: gravitational and electromagnetic! We're going to learn the difference between weight and mass by visiting different planets, detect electrostatic flashes around the house, and build a galvanometer to prove the scientific link between electricity and magnetism. We'll also get to build a working Hovercraft, and you get to pick which design you'd like to try out! (This week covers Unit 1.)
- 09/09: Week 1 Mechanics (Forces, Gravity & Friction) Unit 1 (Download Worksheet #1)
Need help with this challenge?
Use this experiment video below to get you started thinking about what we're actually trying to measure. Once you've built this model, think about how you'd made it more sensitive or how you might record the fluctuations!
Week 2: Physics of Motion: Velocity & Acceleration
Get ready to soar, zoom, spin, gyrate and move as you discover Newton's Laws of Motion through this fast and furious class in inertia, mass, velocity, distance, speed, g-force and acceleration! You'll get to drop kick, rocket launch, spin up, and blast skyward as you create several different projects in projectile and freefall motion as we do the Egg Drop Challenge together! (This week covers Unit 2.)
- 09/16: Week 2 Motion (Velocity, Acceleration & Freefall) Unit 2 (Download Worksheet #2)
Need help with this challenge?
Use this experiment video below to get you started thinking about what we're actually trying to measure, and how to approach the problem.
Week 3: Energy
Energy is the mover and shaker of the universe! Did you know that the energy on Earth actually comes from the sun? The energy from sunlight gets transformed into chemical energy in plants, which get eaten by animals and transformed into other forms, including heat, light, sound, and more. Let's take a closer dive into the world of energy and discover how energy is constantly transforming between kinetic and potential energy by building several homemade catapults! (This week covers Units 4 & Unit 5.)
- 09/23: Week 3 Energy (Potential, Kinetic & Roller Coasters) Unit 5 (Download Worksheet #3)
Week 4: Work & Power
Now let's take a look at how we can put all of these together into one design challenge that will really make your kids run wild with ideas!(This week covers Units 4 & Unit 5.)
- 09/30: Week 4 Work & Power (Simple Machines, Rube Goldberg Machines) Unit 4 (Download Worksheet #4)
Week 5: Sound Energy: Vibrations, Frequency and Resonance
Sound is a form of energy - it's energy traveling as a wave. All sounds come from vibrations. Sound can be very powerful. It’s basically made up of invisible waves of energy that go through things like the air, the ground, water, or through solid stuff like guitar strings. But it needs something in order to move. (This week covers Unit 6.)
- 10/07: Week 5 Sound (Vibration, Resonance, Waves & Speakers) Unit 6 (Download Worksheet #5)
Field Trip: Marine Biology & the crew of the E/V Nautilus
We're going to connect with researchers on board the E/V ("Exploration Vessel") Nautilus, which is a 68-meter research vessel owned by the Ocean Exploration Trust under the direction of Robert Ballard, the researcher known for finding the wreck of the Titanic and the German battleship Bismarck. The vessel's home port is at the AltaSea facility in San Pedro in the Port of Los Angeles, California. Let's take a look at what it's like to be a scientist aboard a research vessel!