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Worksheet
Curated OER

Foucault Pendulum Worksheet

For Students 5th - 8th
Many museums and observatories have a Foucault pendulum set up to demonstrate Earth's rotation upon an axis. This worksheet would be especially valuable if you happen upon one of these displays during a field trip. You could also find a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Foucault's Pendulum

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate how the motion of the Foucault pendulum proves that the Earth is rotating. They research the Internet about pendulums and conduct an experiment online. They view a multimedia presentation about pendulums and read...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Foucault's Pendulum

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explain how the motion of the Foucault pendulum proves that the earth is rotating.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth Turns? Prove It!

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners construct a pendulum using a washer and thin fishing line. In this earth science instructional activity, students simulate Earth's rotation using the pendulum bob and swivel chair. They explain how this activity proves that the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Science of Changing Seasons

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students explore basic principles of seasonal change, ponder the mechanisms that drive these changes, and perform experiments that show what causes the earth to heat differently during different seasons.
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Foucault Pendulum

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students learn about the Foucault pendulum, an engineering tool used to demonstrate and measure the Earth's rotation. Student groups then create small experimental versions, each comprised of a pendulum and a video camera mounted on a...
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Handout
Smithsonian Institution

Encyclopedia Smithsonian: Foucault Pendulum

For Students 9th - 10th
Provides a detailed description of the Foucault Pendulum and how it works. It was originally built to demonstrate the rotation of the Earth.
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Handout
New Advent

Catholic Encyclopedia: Jean Bertrand Leon Foucault

For Students 9th - 10th
A lengthy biographical sketch from The New Advent of Jean-Bertand-Leon Foucault (1819-1868 CE) physicist and mechanician. Discusses his upbringing, scientific work, major accomplishments and published articles. Please note that "The...
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Unit Plan
National High Magnetic Field Laboratory

Magnet Academy: Foucault's Disk

For Students 9th - 10th
Leon Foucault, a French physicist much better known for his pendulum demonstrating the rotation of the Earth, also created in 1855 a device that illustrated how eddy currents work. (Java tutorial)
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Website
PBS

Pbs Kids: Zoom Science: Introduction to Pendulums

For Students 3rd - 5th
What is a pendulum? What makes it swing? Who was Leon Foucault? Discover the answers to these and related questions.
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Website
The Franklin Institute

The Franklin Institute: Clocks Teaching Time

For Students 1st - 5th Standards
This site from The Franklin Institute presents a number of activities, games, exhibits, scavenger hunts, resources, links related to clocks and telling time.