Carnegie Mellon University
Battery Workshop
Introduce your class to the workings and parts of a battery-operated circuit. Pairs of pupils use lemons to make batteries and measure voltage and current with a multimeter. An accompanying worksheet is used for recording values and...
Curated OER
Focusing Event to Electricity
Students explain how electrical charges behave. In this electricity lesson, students determine how far away lightning is when it strikes. They research how fabric softener reduces static electricity and share their findings in class.
Curated OER
What Is Electricity
Fourth graders develop an understanding of static electricity and discover how to detect a charge by using electroscopes. In this electricity lesson, 4th graders complete a lab on electricity and discuss the results with the class.
Curated OER
Measuring Electricity
Students examine electricity, what its uses are and how it works. In this exploring electricity lesson students study voltage, resistance, current and OHM's law.
Curated OER
8th GRade SCience End of the Year Flip Video Review
Students explore video taping. In this science review lesson, students create a video of an assigned science unit as a peer study tool.
Curated OER
The Phantom of the Computer Lab
Students calculate the power consumption of computers in school. In this physics lesson, students design an experiment to determine whether the school should unplug computers at the end of the day. They collect data and report findings...
Curated OER
Go with the Flow
Students gain an understanding of the difference between electrical conductors and insulators, and experience recognizing a conductor by its material properties. They build a conductivity tester to determine whether different objects are...
Curated OER
Earth's Energy
Students discuss the Earth's energy. In this science lesson plan, students construct a simple circuit, a series circuit, and a parallel circuit.
Curated OER
How Good Is Green?
Students explore the amount of electricity used and wasted in homes and at school using kilowatt meters. In this environmental energy lesson, students compute power usage by appliances over time and identify ways in which electricity is...
Curated OER
The Magic of Static
Students investigate static electricity. In this physics lesson, students participate in an experiment with balloons to demonstrate how static electricity works.
Curated OER
Solar Cells
Students are able to answer basic questions about the process of turning light energy into electrical energy. They are introduced to the basic physics and chemistry behind the operation of a solar cell. Students explore how a single...
Curated OER
Building Polymer Cup Speakers
Students investigate sound waves and they build audio speakers. In this audio speakers and sound lesson, students explore how to make quality audio speakers. As a team they build their own speakers to have clarity in sound, quality in...
Curated OER
Methods of Power- Hybrids
Students list the reasons why people chose hybrid cars over traditional cars. In this technology lesson, students create a poster describing how hybrid cars work. They discuss ways to save fuel and improve a car's efficiency.
Curated OER
Simple Circuits
Fifth graders investigate simple circuits and identify when a circuit is considered opened or closed. In small groups, they experiment with wires, batteries, and light bulbs to identify how to light the bulb. Students also experiment...
Curated OER
Circuits and Electromagnets- A Total Inquiry Investigation
Learners investigate how electromagnets work. For this circuits and electromagnets lesson, students complete a series of four challenges using electricity and magnetism.
Curated OER
WiTricity Explained
Students explain how electricity is transferred from source to load without actual wires connecting the two. In this physics lesson, students explore how wireless electricity was discovered. They cite practical applications of this...
Curated OER
You’re Tugging at Me!
Students study the sliding and rolling friction. In this forces instructional activity students divide into groups and use a cart to examine the amount of force that is used to move objects.
Virginia Department of Education
Mystery Iron Ions
Young chemists perform an experiment to determine if a compound is iron (II) chloride or iron (III) chloride. Then they determine the formula, balance the equation, and answer analysis questions.
Virginia Department of Education
Properties of Compounds and Chemical Formulas
Young chemists have unknown compounds they need to sort. Performing three different tests on each, the chemical behaviors they observe become the basis for data analysis.
eGFI
Design a Thermostat
Using a thermostat is an eco-friendly way to control indoor climate. Young engineers practice building electric circuits by designing and constructing a thermostat. Plenty of background information, a vocabulary list, links to the...
Curated OER
Things That Use Electricity
Pupils identify ways to save energy. In this electricity lesson, students identify things in their house that use electricity and discuss ways to reduce the use of energy.
Curated OER
Click, Clack, Moo: Electric Blanket Science
Students read Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin and discuss the similarities and differences between electric blankets and regular blankets. They brainstorm a list of reasons why the farm animals wanted electric blankets.
Curated OER
Heat and electrical resistance (Middle, Science)
Pupils work in teams to create electrical resistance when studying heat and thermal energy.
Curated OER
Let There Be Light
Fifth graders explore electricity. For this electricity lesson, 5th graders experiment with open and closed circuits. Students determine how to properly connect a battery and bulb to illuminate the bulb.