Curated OER
For The Birds
Students observe birds building their nests. For this habitat lesson, students develop a Best Building Supply Bag and record how the birds build their nests. Students keep a Field Journal.
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Electromagnetic Pick-up
Students investigate electromagnetic energy. In this magnetism lesson, students will create an electromagnet and test changes with increased energy. They will compete by building the strongest electromagnet.
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Electrical Connections
In this electrical connections worksheet, students answer 13 questions about conductance, resistors, how to build a circuit and electrical connections.
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Electromagnetism - Transformers
Young scholars build small circuits using transformers. In this electromagnetism lesson plan, students will show that transformers increase voltage which leads to an increase in current. An ammeter and the brightness of a light bulb will...
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Solar Cooking
Learners experiment with a virtual solar cooker to discover the mathematical relationship among reflection, transmission and absorption. Then they actually build and test a solar cooker of their own invention.
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Roller Coaster Fun
Third graders review the effects of gravity on how objects move. In groups, they design a roller coaster and share it with their classmates. Using materials given to them, they build their roller coaster and let a ball roll on the...
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The Electric House Project
Students design and build a foam core house which has a light in each room. They demonstrate an understanding of series, parallel, and complex circuits. They complete a worksheet, in complete, sentences expressing these electrical concepts.
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Interactive Notes-"Electricity"
Students explore electricity. For this interactive electricity lesson, students create static electricity with balloons, observe the rate at which ice melts to identify conductors and insulators, and create a static charge. Activities...
NASA
Foam Rocket
When going for distance, does it make a difference at what angle you launch the rocket? Teams of three launch foam rockets, varying the launch angle and determining how far they flew. After conducting the series of flights three times,...
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Adobe
In this adobe worksheet, students read about adobe soil and how it was used for building because of its insulating properties. Students complete 3 short answer questions.
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Conductivity
Students work together to create a simple conductivity tester. They discover the difference between conductors and insulators. They test different types of materials for their conductivity as well.
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Converting Energy
Students explore the concepts of energy transformation and conversion. They engage in Internet and hands-on activities. Students visit the Atoms Family Website and complete a Building a Better Pyramid activity by adding insulation to...
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TE Activity: Testing Fundamental Loads
Students experiment with the five fundamental load types that can act on structures. They use foam insulation blocks to which they apply the forces and draw the fracture patterns. They determine the telltale marks of failure that is...
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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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Sun Friendly Homes
Students design and build a model solar energy home. In this technology lesson, students test the efficiency of their model houses by measuring temperature at regular intervals. They analyze data and share results with the class.
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Urban Changes
Students explore how landscapes undergo constant changes with urban development. They plan and build their own "city" by including features that have minimal resource demands to sustain the city itself.
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Solar Power
Students discover how engineers use solar energy to heat buildings. They investigate the thermal properties of different materials. They evaluate the usefulness of each material.
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Bulbs & Batteries Side by Side
Students build parallel circuits, exploring how they function and looking at their unique features. They describe how current changes when batteries are added in parallel or removed from a parallel arrangement, demonstrate the process of...
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How a Circuit Works
Students explore the differences between parallel and series circuits by designing and constructing several different circuits. In small groups, they use miniature light bulbs, wires, and nine-volt batteries to build the circuits they...
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How Smart are You about Electricity, Batteries and Conductors?
Young scholars create working circuits. In this electricity and circuits lesson, students make a battery, then build a flashlight and use part of the flashlight to create a conductivity tester.
MENSA Education & Research Foundation
Roller Coaster Mania!
Raise the energy level of your physical science class with this exciting hands-on activity. Applying their knowledge of kinetic and potential energy and Newton's laws of motion, young engineers use foam tubing and marbles to create...
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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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Architectural Acoustics
In this acoustics worksheet, students use a chart of the speed of sound through different materials to determine which materials should be used to build certain building types. Students complete 2 short answer questions.
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Roller Coaster Fun
Third graders examine the effects of gravity on how an object moves. In groups, they design a roller coaster, share their design with the class and build the roller coaster. They roll different sized balls down the track and record the...