Students use water balloons and a length of string to understand how the force of gravity between two objects and the velocity of a spacecraft can balance to form an orbit. They see that when the velocity becomes too great for gravity to hold the spacecraft in orbit, the object escapes the orbit and travels further away from the planet.

In this STEM lesson, students use balloons to demonstrate concepts applied by jet and rocket engines to supply thrust for movement. They will observe how unequal pressure creates power, explain how air power can help airplanes fly, and construct a working model of an air engine-balloon-powered rocket to launch the greatest payload possible to the classroom ceiling.

In this STEM lesson, students will construct three different kite models and predict the most effective design. They will design and test an aircraft given several parameters and explain how early flight was influenced by kites. This lesson uses the online NASA CONNECT: The "Wright" Math Educator Guide and the NASA Aeronautics Activity Guide; and the Sled Kite activity to help students learn how the Wright brothers developed controllable aircraft by understanding, constructing, and testing different designs.

In this STEM activity, students will compare the aerodynamic features of different nose cone designs. They will experiment with different nose cone shapes to determine the advantages and disadvantages of each type. Conic, parabolic and flat shapes will be tested to determine which is most aerodynamic.

Students will use a model of the solar system to demonstrate rotation, revolution, Kepler’s laws, Newton's laws, precession, nutation, seasons or tides.  They will use kapwing.com to create their own stop motion video.

Online simulation as well as a followup hands-on activity to illustrate Newton's Laws of Motion in Physics.