Skip to main content

Middle School Science

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.

Filter by:

Crash Cushioning Lab - NGSS Based

Profile picture for user Rich
Submitted by Rich on Thu, 12/06/2018 - 16:09

Introduction to Crash Cushioning

In addition to automobile features that promote road safety, there has been and continues to be a great deal of work on highway features that save lives.  An earlier lab entitled Crash Cushion Investigation, submitted by PocketLab, makes use of the PocketLab HotRod to investigate crash cushioning similar to that shown in Figure 1.    

"High Striker" with PocketLab & ScratchX

Profile picture for user Rich
Submitted by Rich on Sat, 09/01/2018 - 19:29

Carnival Games

Most everyone enjoys a carnival!  Some like the food--from cotton candy, to funnel cakes, to ice cream.  Others enjoy rides such as the carousel, Ferris wheel, and bumper cars.  Many like to test their skills in games like "Milk Bottle", "Balloon and Dart", and "Ring Toss".  One of the most well-know skill games is "High Striker", sometimes called "Ring the Bell" or "Strongman Game".  This game is commonly played by guys trying to impress girlfriends and wives with their macho strength.  In this game, a large mallet is used to strike one end of a lever.  Th

Theremin Synth Music with Voyager/ScratchX

Profile picture for user Rich
Submitted by Rich on Thu, 08/23/2018 - 15:25

Introduction

theremin , named after its Russian inventor in the early 1900's, is an electronic musical instrument that is controlled without any contact by the musician.   Volume is controlled by moving one hand near one antenna, while pitch is controlled by moving the other hand near a second antenna.  The sound is generated by a pair of high-frequency oscillators.

Grade Level

Dynamometer for Hand Strength

Profile picture for user Rich
Submitted by Rich on Mon, 08/13/2018 - 17:41

A PocketLab Voyager Hand Dynamometer

Hand and finger strength is vital in many aspects of life--from sports such as rock climbing to jobs including airline baggage workers.  PocketLab Voyager's tactile sensor can be used to construct a very simple hand dynamometer to measure strength of a person's hands and fingers.  Figure 1 shows a simple dynamometer constructed by the author.  It consists of a 2" x 2" x 4" block of wood to which the PocketLab tactile sensor has been attached using removable double stick poster tape.

Subject

Heel Pressure: Running versus Walking

Profile picture for user Rich
Submitted by Rich on Fri, 08/10/2018 - 18:28

Heel Pressure

Do you really know how to walk or run?  PocketLab's tactile pressure sensor provides for an opportunity for your students to investigate foot pressure during these activities.  Improper form can ultimately lead to unwanted visits to a podiatrist.  Whenever you take a step, your body places pressure on muscles, joints and tendons in your legs, knees, ankles, feet and toes.   Controlling heel pressure is a key factor to prevent injuries in this regard.

Subject

PocketLab/Ozobot LIDAR Demonstration

Profile picture for user Rich
Submitted by Rich on Fri, 07/06/2018 - 23:05

Introduction

LIDAR—an acronym for Light Detection and Ranging—is a method for remote sensing to measure distances.  While LIDAR commonly uses reflected laser light to accomplish this, students can investigate LIDAR principles by using Voyager’s IR rangefinder in conjunction with Ozobot Evo.  Ozobot is a tiny programmable robot that can follow lines.  In this activity, PocketLab Voyager is mounted on top of Ozobot.  While Ozobot t

Grade Level

Voyager Rides an RC Car for Summertime Fun

Profile picture for user Rich
Submitted by Rich on Wed, 06/20/2018 - 18:18

RC Car Fun!!!

Here is a fun summertime activity!  Race an RC car with PocketLab Voyager. Challenge your friends to see who can negotiate a series of cones in the shortest amount of time without hitting any of the cones.  Start and end times are obtained by Voyager's magnetometer as the RC car passes by magnets.  

To access this free lesson, please sign up to receive communications from us: