Curated OER
Turn On A Light And Do Your Own Revegetation
Students use electricity and plant a seed to observe the process when coal is the major fuel source to produce electricity. They use the packet of native seeds to experiment with revegetation.
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Conductors and Insulators
Students describe safe practices that are appropriate to a range of situations and environments. They discuss how electricity runs through wires that are insulated so that it cannot escape and determine that you can get electrocuted if...
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Product Dissection
Sometimes, taking things apart is more fun than putting things together. Groups of learners participate in a reverse engineering activity. They dissect a device of their choosing to see how it works—great hands-on learning from the...
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Wimshurst Machine
Students examine what a Wimshurst machine is and how it operates. In this mechanics lesson students build a Wimshurst machine and watch it in action.
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Light Your Way
Students investigate how a simple series circuit functions. They design and construct a working portable flashlight, develop a written plan for the flashlight, test their flashlight for functionality and reliability, and draw the series...
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Electromagnetism
Young scholars explore the generation of magnetic fields from currents in wires and measure the magnetic field directions. They measure magnetic fields in their own environment. They also examine how moving magnetic fields can create...
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Bulbs & Batteries in a Row
Students investigate simple series circuits and their properties. In small groups they draw a circuit diagram on their Series Circuit Building worksheet, follow step-by-step directions to construct a simple series circuit, and solve...
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Energy Transformations
Students investigate energy and energy transformations. They compare the various forms of energy, create the circuit and sketch the connections. In addition, they label the circuit to identify areas where energy transformation is present.
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Life Unplugged
Students explore renewable and non-renewable energy sources, discuss how each source was created, and identify and sketch out the cycle of energy for each renewable source.
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Using Transistors: Let's Get Transistorized!
Students build two circuits and explore how transistors function. This activity allow them to observe the operation of a transistor as an amplifier.
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Dimmer and Dimmer and Dimmer and Dimmer
Eighth graders model rheostats to see how they work.
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Stopping Global Climate Change
Students synthesize or express concepts towards solving the question posed at each lab station about climate change. After all lab teams have finished, the teacher facilitates a class discussion on teams' responses to each station.
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Junkyard Wars-Investigating More Electromagnets
Fourth graders conduct an investigation in order to determine a way to change the strength of an electromagnet's magnetic force. After conducting "control" lifts with their electromagnet, groups make initial changes, record data, and...
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Metalloids
Pupils discuss metalloids, their use as semiconductors, and their impact on the computer industry. They work in groups to create a visual timeline showing the evolution of the computer.
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Conductors and Insulators
Fifth graders investigate conductors and insulators by testing their hypotheses. They use copper wire and batteries to light a bulb. They use a penny and a plastic spoon to determine which is an insulator and which is a conductor.
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Conductors, Insulators, and Semiconductors
Middle schoolers will investigate the differences in conductivity of materials, design a variety of complete circuits, and observe the differences between the manner in which light is produced in an incandescent light bulb and an LED.
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Circuit Breakers
Fifth graders build a circuit breaker and examine its function within a circuit.
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Tsunamis
Learners investigate the natural disasters known as tsunamis by researching the Internet. In this nature lesson, students define the word tsunami and discuss how they are created. Learners complete an online activity based on water...
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Minerals and You
Students study how mineral are used in everything around us-- from cereal to satellites. After informing the students about minerals they will discuss the ones that are in the area of the students.
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Red Shift, Blue Shift
Pupils demonstrate how stellar spectra measures a star's motion relative to Earth along the line of sight.
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The Efficient City
Students research and create a realistic plan for energy efficiency. In this investigative activity students answer questions and fill out a worksheet on energy.
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Hybrid Automobiles
Young scholars explain the basic principles of gasoline engines as propulsion for vehicles. They cite reasons why alternatives for gasoline engines are being considered and explain differences between a motor and an engine.
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Batteries and Bulbs
Students examine the uses of batteries and bulbs and explain the differences between series and parallel circuits. In this circuits lesson students complete a lab activity.
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The Story of the Transistor
Students brainstorm on how certain items have become smaller as technology advances. They watch a video about the history of the transistor.