Free 12th Grade Bernoulli Principles Lesson Plan (Science)

Topic: Bernoulli Principles

Objectives & Outcome

• Students will be able to describe and illustrate the Bernoulli principle and how it relates to pressure and flow in fluids.

Materials

• Balloons
• Water
• Plastic tubing
• Stopwatch or clock with second hand
• Index cards

Warm-up

• Ask students if they have ever blown up a balloon and noticed that it gets harder to breathe as the balloon gets bigger. Ask them what they think is causing this effect.
• Introduce the Bernoulli principle and explain that it describes how pressure and flow in fluids are related.
• Have students stretch the plastic tubing around the room and hold one end of the tube in their hand while their partner holds the other end. Have them blow into the tube while their partner tries to hold the end in place. Ask them what they observe.

Direct Instruction

• Show students the balloon and the plastic tubing again.
• Demonstrate how to use the pump to inflate the balloon and explain how it works. As the air is forced into the balloon, it has to go somewhere, and it does so by rushing out of the tube and into the hand holding it. This creates a lower pressure inside the balloon than outside, which causes it to expand.
• Explain how the Bernoulli principle applies to aerodynamic flow of fluids, such as air or water, and how it affects the shape and speed of objects moving through the fluid.
• Use the handout to help explain the principles of the Bernoulli principle and demonstrate how it can be applied to real-world situations such as airplane wing design.

Guided Practice

• Divide the class into small groups and give each group a piece of graph paper and a marker or pen.
• Have the groups use the balloon and tubing to create a simple model of a wing in a low-pressure area, such as a paper airplane or kite.
• Have the groups record their observations and draw a picture of their model to illustrate how the Bernoulli principle applies to it.
• Ask students to share their models and observations with the class.

Independent Practice

• Have students work in pairs to design and build a model that illustrates the Bernoulli principle in a high-pressure area (e.g. a model airplane or kite that uses the principle to achieve flight).
• Encourage students to be creative and think about the physical principles involved in their models.

Closure

• As a class, review the key points of the lesson and discuss any questions students have about the Bernoulli principle.
• Ask students to share their models and explain how they illustrate the principle.

Assessment

• Use the class-generated list of examples as an assessment, evaluating students' understanding of the principle and their ability to apply it in real-world situations.
• Administer a quiz or written assignment to test students' understanding of the principle and its applications.