Science Matters
Static Electricity
Working with static electricity is sure to give the class a charge! Budding scientists experiment with balloons and different materials to discover how to create static electricity. They learn about the transfer of electrons and the...
Micron Technology Foundation
Electricity
Conduct four electrifying electricity experiments that challenge young scientists to explore positive and negative charges and magnetic fields without the shock.
Curated OER
More About Static Electricity
Students examine the concept that static electricity is a phenomenon that involves positive and negative charges. They explore the Static Electricity section of the Science, Technology and Engineering website to learn more about the...
Curated OER
Static Electricity and Lightning
Students study concepts related to static electricity, based on a single example: lightning. They explain how static electricity, lightning, and sparks are all related phenomena. They draw a diagram illustrating the negative and positive...
Curated OER
How Powerful is Static Electricity?
Students break up into groups to complete a demonstration rubbing a balloon in hair make their hair stand up. Thus, they conclude static electricity. They also experiment with a paper station, ping pong station and a water station...
Curated OER
A Shocking Experience
Learners differentiate between current and static electricity, conductors and insulators, explain how energy is converted from chemical to electrical, measure voltage of batteries, collect data on voltage, and predict voltage of...
Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
Let’s Throw an Electric Science Party!
Are you looking for a shockingly good lesson? Check out one that has middle schoolers recreate four of Benjamin Franklin's experiments. Groups investigate, observe, and draw conclusions about static electricity and electrical current....
Curated OER
Static Electricity - Grocery Store Items
Students investigate static electricity using inexpensive "grocery store" items. They view demonstrations with video segments. They graph the data they collect.
Curated OER
Static electricity: Ah, There's the rub!
Students experiment to investigate static electricity. In this static electricity instructional activity, students prepare a balloon head and draw a face on it. Students rub the nose and the balloon moves toward the student rubbing.
Curated OER
Exploring Electricity - Four Activities
These are four classic activities used for instructing upper elementary electricians. The first involves experimenting with the Van de Graaff generator. The second is a series of hands-on experiences with static. In the third activity,...
Curated OER
Static Electricity Experiments
Students investigate static electricity. They conduct two experiments, make observations and predictions, collect and record data, and write a report describing the findings of their investigations.
Curated OER
The Magic of Static
Students investigate static electricity. In this physics activity, students participate in an experiment with balloons to demonstrate how static electricity works.
Curated OER
Green Team
Student explore the relationship of static electricity to current electricity, circuits, electromagnets, electro generators, and public electric utilities. For this Green Team lesson plan, 4th graders participate in hands-on science...
Curated OER
How Powerful is Static Electricity
Learners explore energy by participating in controlled electricity experiment. In this static electricity activity, students identify the different sources that can create energy and how static electricity can be created very easily on...
Curated OER
Static Electricity 4: Static Electricity and Lightning
Students explain concepts related to static electricity, based on a single example: lightning.
Curated OER
Static Electricity 3: More About Static Electricity
Students reinforce the concept that static electricity is a phenomenon that involves positive and negative charges.
Curated OER
Leyden Jar: Static Electricity
Students experiment with a Leyden Jar, a device that stores electrical charges. A large voltage can be built up in this jar by adding more and more charge. The modern name for this device is a capacitor.
Curated OER
Static Electricity 1: Introducing Atoms
Students explore webpages to research the nature of atoms, including electrons, protons, and neutrons. This instructional activity is the first of a four-part series on static electricity. They see that static electricity involves + and...
Curated OER
Van de Graaff Generator
Students explore static electricity using the Van de Graaff generator. In this physics activity, students construct their own Van de Graaff using simple materials. They explain how charges accumulate on this device.
Curated OER
Science Experiments
Students do a series of three experiments. In the first experiment, the students work with a partner to protect an egg from a 12 foot drop. In the second experiment, the students investigate static electricity using balloons and yarn. ...
Curated OER
Electricity
First graders become aware of the presence of static electricity. They create static electricity using friction.
Curated OER
Introduction to Magnets
Learners explore magnetism, electromagnetism, and static electricity through a series of activities and experiments. In this magnets lesson, students use magnets to observe the forces of attraction and repulsion between different poles....
Curated OER
Lightning!
Students use aluminum, a thumbtack, an eraser, and more to create static electricity. For this static electricity lesson plan, students use this experiment to simulate lightning.
Curated OER
Zapped!
Fifth graders describe the behavior of static electricity as observed in nature and everyday occurrences.