PBS
Pbs Kids: Design Squad Challenge: Balloon Drive
Hands-on challenge "to make a helium balloon hover in one spot, then move it through an obstacle course using air currents". Provides full list of materials with ideas on how to design, build, and test the balloon's movement. Activity...
Creative Science Centre
Creative Science Centre: Notes on Coil Magnet Orientation and Rotation
An electrical generator is in essence a very simple device - magnets rotating within a coil of wire. To get a generator to work properly, one needs to make sure the coil and magnet orientation and rotation are correctly aligned. These...
Creative Science Centre
Creative Science Centre: Solar Heaters and Other Parabolic Devices
Parabolic mirror surfaces are found wherever energy needs to be focused efficiently and accurately. You find them built into car headlights, spotlights, as well as astronomical telescopes. Here we explore the parabola in the design of...
Other
Washington Calligrapher's: Calligraphy Typeface Design
This brief page from the Washington Calligrapher's Guild gives several illustrations and explanations of calligraphy, lettering, and design. Teachers could use this as a short reference with examples.
Creative Science Centre
Creative Science Center: Things to Make and Do
Have you ever wanted to create your own science investigation? Try these creative science projects, and be inspired to design your own.
Creative Science Centre
Creative Science Centre: Two Low Power Led Flashers
Explains the design of two circuits that can flash an LED from a single 1.5V battery. A typical LED needs 2-3V to work properly and both these circuits include a voltage doubler to boost the voltage to drive the LED. Both circuits will...
Creative Science Centre
Creative Science Centre: 6 Generators
Apart from the piezo generator, all of these generators are based on the same simple design, where magnets are rotated near to coils of wire (Faraday Induction). There is no coil switching so these are AC generators. On magnet movement,...
Creative Science Centre
Creative Science Centre: An Electric Thermometer
Instructions for how to make an electrical thermometer. The electrical thermometer works like this - the design consists of four resistors each made from about 40 meters of very thin copper wire. The electrical resistance of wire changes...
Creative Science Centre
Creative Science Centre: Very Simple Screw 'Motor'
Explains the design of a simple 'motor' made from a magnetized screw and a battery.
Creative Science Centre
Creative Science Centre: Diode Ladder Voltage Multipliers
Explains the design of circuits that can be used to multiply and rectify AC voltages, e.g., to increase voltage in order to light an LED more effectively and get a brighter light from it.
PBS
Pbs Teachers: Goldburger to Go
Apply principles of physics as you add parts to an unfinished Rube Goldberg design in this interactive game. Examine clues and make adjustments to complete a food delivery machine.
Creative Science Centre
Creative Science Centre: A Portable Shortwave Rx Loop Antenna
A simple portable antenna is described that gives good radio reception on the main shortwave bands.
Creative Science Centre
Creative Science Centre: Pic Moon Clock
Explains the design of a simple device that shows the progress of the phases of the Moon on its 29 1/2 day orbit around the Earth.
Creative Science Centre
Creative Science Centre: Making a Meter
Discusses the design of a meter for measuring the power output from a set of seawater batteries.
Marilyn J. Brackney
Imagination Factory: Wrap It Up for Chanukah
Creative ideas for making unique and personalized packages for Hanukkah presents.
PBS
Pbs: Multimedia Storytelling (A Lesson Plan Family Memories)
A instructional activity for exploring the use of multimedia presentation techniques in effective storytelling. Design, write, storyboard, and create a multimedia presentation of a story about an important family event or memory.
Other
Tom Wujec: The Marshmallow Challenge
Collaborative exercise involving marshmallows, spaghetti, tape, and string can start events and classes off in a creative frame of mind.
Yale University
Yale New Haven Teachers Institute: Poetry for the Elementary Classroom
Site contains a narrative and three lesson plans. These plans are designed to assist students with various aspects of poetry. This site discusses strategies which enable students to effectively, memorize, recite, and correctly pronounce...
Caro Clarke
Explaining Too Much: Why More Is Less
This is the eleventh article in a series that is designed to help the new novel author. This article focuses on how to eliminate needless information in your novel. The key is to not explain too much about the action.
Caro Clarke
Historical Fiction: Who Rules?
This is the fifteenth article in a series designed to help the new novel author. This article focuses on the genre of historical fiction and the role of the author. Is the author a researcher or a story-teller?
Caro Clarke
Caro Clarke: Description: What's It For?
This is the twelfth article in a series that is designed to help the new novel writer. This article focuses on how to effectively use descriptions in any writing.
Thinkport Education
Thinkport: Water, Water, Everywhere: Phase 3 Build Your Presentation
Some ideas to help students think of preparing a creative presentation for thier water purification PBL.
Goshen College
Visual Art: The Conversation Game
When we prompt our students to create art based on "self," how many of us get generic pictures or simple ideas? This game is designed to stretch each student's self list so that they have a wide variety of expressive ideas to choose from.
PBS
Pbs Teachers: Door Opener
Apply knowledge of simple machines to design on paper and then construct a device that will open a door from across the room.