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Interactive
PBS

Why Isn't There an Eclipse Every Month?

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Searching for an eclipse activity that sends scholars over the moon? Try an interesting interactive to get their minds active! The resource, part of an extensive Space series from PBS Learning Media, uses modeling and data analysis to...
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Interactive
Magic of Physics

Materials Lab

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Why is wood good for building houses, but not the best choice for high-rise apartments? Future materials scientists put building materials to the test using a hands-on interactive. Pupils pull and push on substances such as reinforced...
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Interactive
Magic of Physics

Solar Panel

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Solar panels are everywhere! How do they work? Energize the class with an interactive that explains the magic of solar energy. The simple click-through demonstration shows how photons are captured and converted to a usable source of...
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Graphic
PBS

The Planets of the Solar System

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
Launch a lesson that's sure to capture middle schoolers' interest! Exploration enthusiasts examine the planets of our solar system using an activity from PBS's Space series. The resource includes images and information for each planet,...
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Interactive
PBS

NASA's Eyes on the 2017 Eclipse

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
How did the 2017 eclipse look in Los Angeles—or Chicago? Experience both views, plus many more, using a lesson from PBS's Space series for middle schoolers. Scholars follow the movements of the sun, moon, and Earth during the most recent...
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Interactive
Magic of Physics

Radio Transmission

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Radio waves are all around us! How do they transmit sound? Using an interactive, scholars examine how songs travel through the air. The resource explains the process from the radio station, to signal towers, to the radio unit. A look at...
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Experience a Solar Eclipse

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Didn't catch the last solar eclipse? Now every day can be eclipse day, thanks to an interactive lesson from PBS' Space series for middle schoolers! The well-rounded multi-media experience includes video clips, an interactive, and...
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Interactive
Magic of Physics

Shadows

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Sunrise, sunset ... swiftly move the shadows! Pupils practice comparing shadow length data with a hands-on activity. The resource allows users to examine and measure the shadow cast by a stick as the sun moves overhead before testing...
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Interactive
Magic of Physics

Moving Toy Mechanisms

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Who says playing around in class is a bad idea? Precocious physicists engage in building mechanisms that include cams, gears, pulleys, and levers using an interactive lesson. After completing toy tutorials about each topic, users build a...
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Interactive
Magic of Physics

Loads Lab

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Take a load off! Introduce junior engineers to the effects of load on structural design with an easy-to-use interactive. Individuals apply one of many load options, examine its effects, then learn about the safeguards employed during...
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Interactive
Magic of Physics

Franklin's Lab

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Get energized! Circuitry scholars follow the path of energy from its beginnings as a fossil fuel all the way to bulbs and batteries using an interesting interactive. Groups or individuals help Ben Franklin discover how to convert and...
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Unit Plan
Essential Energy

Being a Safety Star (Stage 3)

For Teachers 7th - 10th Standards
A spark of static electricity contains up to 3,000 volts, while a lightning strike contains around 3,000,000 volts. To understand electricity, its power, and the safety considerations relating to it learners engage in a comprehensive...
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Lab Resource
US Department of Energy

Go Far Cars Ramp: A Basic Ramp with Four Height Settings

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Precise measurements make the job easier! One of the challenges when using an inclined plane for testing comes from pupils not using exact measurements. They often rely on books that slide or different ramp lengths when experimenting. By...
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Lab Resource
Colorado State University

Why Are Clouds White?

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Is it possible to change the color of clouds? A three-part activity explores the scattering of light by the water droplets that make up clouds. After observing a demonstration, curious scholars conduct their own investigations of the...
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Lab Resource
Royal Society of Chemistry

A Solid-Solid Reaction between Lead Nitrate and Potassium Iodide

For Teachers 6th - 11th Standards
Why is it so difficult to make two solid compounds react? Investigate the concepts of particle collisions and rate of reaction using a quick demonstration. The colorful experiment features two plain, white solids combining to form a...
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Worksheet
Royal Society of Chemistry

Gimli Glider—Anecdotes for Chemistry Teachers

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
What's the moral of this story? Units save lives! Teach measurement conversion through storytelling in a quick math-based lesson. Young scientists learn how one country's decision to swap from imperial to metric standard units caused an...
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Lab Resource
Royal Society of Chemistry

A Microscale Acid-Base Titration

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Watch as acids and bases put smiles on their faces. Young chemists learn the concept of acid-base titration firsthand in a microscale experiment. Working groups collaborate, titrate, then use their data to determine the concentration of...
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Lesson Plan
NOAA

A Day in the Life of an Ocean Explorer

For Teachers 5th - 12th Standards
What's life like aboard an ocean exploration vessel? Junior oceanographers examine the important role of communication in ocean research in instructional activity two of a five-part series from NOAA. The materials introduce the class to...
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Lesson Plan
Polar Trec

Why Can’t I Eat This Fish?

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Can turning on the television lead to toxins in the food supply? The instructional activity offers an opportunity for young scientists to complete guided research. A worksheet lists each question as well as the web page necessary to...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
Polar Trec

Science in Antarctica

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
PolarTREC brings polar researchers and educators together to benefit both science and education. Pupils select one research project in Antarctica to explore and present to their peers. Scholars polish research and presentation skills as...
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Lesson Plan
Polar Trec

Touring the Poles

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Would you want to vacation in the Arctic or Antarctic regions? Scholars research both regions and produce a travel brochure trying to convince tourists to visit. The project focuses on the geography, climate, flora, fauna, and indigenous...
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Lesson Plan
1
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Channel Islands Film

Island Rotation: Lesson Plan 2

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Why are Torrey pines only found in La Jolla, California and on Santa Rosa Island? Class members examine images of Torrey pines from these two locations, noting the similarities and differences, and then develop a demonstration model that...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
Channel Islands Film

Island Cattle Ranching

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
Is cattle ranching on Santa Rosa island viable or non-viable? Rather than focusing on the issues of the transition of Santa Rosa island from a privately owned island cattle ranch to a national park, class members are asked to consider if...
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Interactive
National Academy of Sciences

What is the Greenhouse Effect?

For Students 7th - 12th Standards
The greenhouse effect warms up earth enough so it can support life, but if it heats up too much, life won't be able to survive. An interactive presentation covers the greenhouse effect, the carbon cycle, climate forcing, and climate...