Pendulums

This activity invites K–5 students, in both English and Spanish, to explore the phenomena of pendulums and investigate the question,  “What happens to the swing speed of your pendulum when you change one of the variables?” Students test one variable at a time to figure-out the effect of length, weight, and release point on how long it takes the pendulum to swing back and forth. This activity supports science standards for Energy in 4th grade and for Gravity in 5th grade.

Teachers can use this activity in virtual or in-person environments, with minimal prep time and common household materials. Slides scaffolding the student experience can be modified to suit different learning contexts.The accompanying Teacher Support Guide contains suggestions for how to use the activity, support for sense-making discussions, content background, and connections to ELA, math, and the 4th and 5th grade science standards.