Curated OER
Just Turn it Off
Students explore energy. In this energy lesson, students discover why it is important to conserve energy. Students discover how energy is used in items we use everyday. Students discover how batteries work. Students do an experiment with...
Curated OER
Let's Light up a Light Bulb
Third graders investigate electricity. In this electricity instructional activity, 3rd graders observe a familiar battery-operated toy and brainstorm reasons why and how the battery works. Students work in pairs to explore batteries,...
Curated OER
Solar Kit Lesson #13 - Solarize a Toy
Physical science or technology classes will be invigorated by this challenge: to convert a toy, game, or other device to run on solar power. In doing so, they will design the appropriate solar arrays. This is an A+ lesson, complete with...
Curated OER
The Physics of Toys
Learners explore physics by experimenting with classic toys. In this physical science lesson, students utilize gliders, energy balls, bouncing balls, marbles and other toys to explore how they work. Learners explore each toy at a work...
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Describing the Motion of a Battery Powered Cars
Students explore distance a toy car travels by changing the amount of batteries used to power the toy car. In this force and motion lesson, students calculate the average speed of a car while investigating the power from various amounts...
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Rat Round Up
Students build a device that captures and carries a pet rat safely back to its cage with out "harming" the rat or themselves. They build and experiment with wind-up or battery operated rat cat toys after predicting the outcome of their...
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Battery Operated Model Car Experiments
Students time battery operated cars over a set track and determine the velocity of each type of car. They use the cars as manipulatives to demonstrate word problems involving velocity.
American Chemical Society
Exploring Energy
When asked to list everyday objects that require energy, most people list technology that use batteries or electricity. Through hands-on exploration, young scientists discover energy is much more than just circuitry. They play with...
Curated OER
Just Turn It Off
Pupils investigate importance of turning off lights, toys, machines, and appliances. They probe problem of what happens to a flashlight when it is not turned off and extend this to household items like lights, radios, televisions, and...
Curated OER
Electricity: Static and Current
Students investigate static and current electricity. In this electricity lesson plan, students observe 4 demonstrations and conduct 3 activities to explore the repulsion of electrons and the attraction of protons and electrons. They...
It's About Time
Building an Electric Motor
Rev your motor with a hands-on activity about electricity. Learners build their own electric motor before reading a handout and answering some questions.
Curated OER
The Designed World
Young scholars study the classification system used in a library. In this sorting and classification lesson, students visit their library and define the classification system in place. Young scholars discuss the sorting method and then...
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Methods of Power- Solar, Hydrogen, and Electric
Students examine solar, hydrogen, electric power. In this research based lesson, students will do simple investigations, view videos, discuss, and research how these three types of energy are used for power. They illustrate a...
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Living or Non-Living
Students examine living and non-living things. In this life science lesson, students are given a group of objects and discuss if they are living or non-living. Students identify and list characteristics of living things.
Curated OER
Waterskiing in Circles
Students discuss and give examples of Newton's three laws. They then answer questions in reference to Newton's three laws. One example of the questions that students answer is: A water-skier typically uses a 75 foot tow rope. The skier...
Curated OER
Get Charged!
Students explore the concept of electricity in this activity based unit. In this physical science lesson plan, students focus on electricity and electrical engineering. The teaching unit includes 5 activities to develop students...
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Speed Trap
Students conceptually explore motion graphing by producing motion at different speeds and directions. They experience the lab and then graph the motion of the truck at various speeds and directions. The procedures of velocity are...
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Transformation of Energy-8th Grade
Eighth graders examine how electricity is produced in relation to the atom as well as what causes electric current to flow and what determines how much current flows through a circuit. These and other concepts of transformation of energy...
Curated OER
Magnetic Discovery Bottle
Students examine how to conduct simple investigations and use simple equipment to gather data. For this magnet lesson students decide what types of objects are attracted to magnets.