PSI: Physical Science Investigations

Curriculum Areas: Physical Science, Physics, Professional Development, Science
Grades: 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade
Show Length: 28 topics, each with multiple video segments for teachers and students
Usage Rights: Unlimited
Production Date: 2007-2009
Distributor: WVIZ/PBS ideastream
Availability: Website
WVIZ/PBS Broadcast:
Internet Site(s): http://www.wviz.org/psi
Teacher Guide: Materials available on website

PSI is a series of twenty eight physical science video lab experiments aligned with the Ohio Science Academic Content Standards for grades 5-8. Each experiment includes lesson plans, additional resources, and two types of video: professional development videos for teachers and multiple video segments for use in the classroom. Science concepts presented by Dante Centuori, the Director of Education for the Great Lakes Science Center. Produced by WVIZ/PBS ideastream in cooperation with the Great Lakes Science Center and Science and Math Achievement Required for Tomorrow (SMART) consortium. Funding for Physical Science Investigations (PSI) provided by eTech Ohio.

A Momentous Occasion: Newton's Second Law of Motion.

Balancing Act: Air has mass.

Big Deal: Properties of water; surface tension.

Blown Away: Air has mass; air pressure. Air can be used to transfer energy.

Bottled Up: Air has mass and volume; effect of pressure on the inside/outside of closed system.

Bowled Over: Graphical analysis of data, kinetic and potential energy, behavior of falling objects.

Breaking News: Air exerts a force called pressure. Identify and control variables.

Can it Be?: Air generates pressure in all directions; scientific inquiry.

Clearing it Up: Air pressure influences the formation of clouds in the atmosphere.

Eggs-Treme Impact: The impulse-momentum equation.

Fast Food: Inertia and the laws of motion for matter.

Fill ‘Er Up: Conservation of mass not conservation of volume. Particle nature of matter.

Give It a Whirl: Forces are balanced or unbalanced; centripetal force.

How Egg-Sighting: Air pressure, unbalanced forces.

It’s in the Bag: Relationship between hot temperature and air (hot air balloon in a bag).

Music of the Spheres: Transfer of energy. Effects of adding kinetic energy (heat or motion).

Oh, Buoy!: Density is the relationship between mass, volume and the shape of an object.

One Good Turn: Using inquiry to explore the effect of mass, velocity, diameter, and mass.

On the Ball: Gravitational potential energy, kinetic energy, Newton's 2nd Law, collisions and conservation of momentum.

Red, Wet and Blue: Temperature affects the volume of air; colder water sinks; warmer water floats.

Sink or Swim: Relationship between density, mass and volume.

The Heat is On: Heat (thermal energy) moves in a predictable direction, potential energy and kinetic energy, the particle nature of matter, random motion of particles at varying temperatures.

Tuned In: Sound is energy. Vibrations can create sound energy that spreads away from the source in all directions. Different vibrations create different sounds.

What Does it Matter?: Relationship between mass and volume.

What’s the Deal?: Air generates pressure in all directions; scientific inquiry.

What’s the Difference?: Differences in air pressure cause air to move.

What’s the Point?: Relationship between temperature, volume and pressure; observation.

Wheeling Around: Inertia and kinetic energy.