Bonneville
What is Electricity and How Do We Use It?
Use some electrifying lessons to learn about electricity. Future scientists discover the history of electricity and the basics of electric circuits. They learn how to read an electricity bill and then create circuits to power a fan,...
American Chemical Society
Great Electron Ripoff
Create a charge in the classroom. Using pieces of cellophane tape, a plastic grocery bag, and a balloon, learners investigate the effects of static electricity. Pupils create different charges in the materials and observe whether they...
Bonneville
Titanium Dioxide Solar Cell Construction and Testing
There's raspberry juice in solar cells!? Scholars create and test a titanium dioxide raspberry solar cell in the seventh of 14 lessons in the Cost Effective Solar Cells unit. They coat glass slides with titanium dioxide to make their...
Bonneville
Solar Panel Basics
Going outside is a logical step when dealing with solar panels. Future scientists learn about the n-type and p-type layers of solar cells in the third of 14 lessons in the Cost Effective Solar Cells unit. They go outside to model the...
Bonneville
Introduction to Circuits
Light up the class's knowledge. Pupils build a simple circuit using a battery, wire, and a light bulb and create a diagram of their circuit. The teacher provides a short lecture on a complete circuit, calling attention to the direction...
Museum of Science
Static Cling
Cling to a lesson on static electricity. Pupils take part in experiments where they see how paper from hole punchers, packing peanuts, puffed rice cereal, and other items react when placed near a rubbed balloon. They learn how electrons...
American Museum of Natural History
Atomic Mobile
Structure an activity around atoms. Learners use their knowledge of the parts of atoms—the protons, neutrons, and electrons—to build a model of a carbon atom. Scholars create a nucleus by using clay balls to represent the protons and...
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...
Utah Education Network (UEN)
Utah Open Textbook: Chemistry
Technology can help save money and add convenience. The resource offers a free textbook for a complete Chemistry course. The text begins with a review of the scientific method and continues to explain topics such as chemical bonding,...
College Board
2015 AP® Physics 2: Algebra-Based Free-Response Questions
As one of the few AP tests that count for second year college course credit, the AP Physics 2 exam requires a higher level of knowledge than most. Help young scientists study for their upcoming AP Physics 2 exams with previous...
Pingry School
Lewis Structures, VSEPR and Molecular Modeling
A model is worth a thousand words. Young scholars use what they know about the structure of hydrocarbons to build Lewis dot structures and molecular models. Their tasks include multiple bonds, geometric hybrids, and various isomers.
NASA
Atoms, Elements, and Isotopes
Rings and golden nuggets contain the element gold, but how small can you break it down before it is no longer considered gold? A helpful presentation explains the basics about atoms, elements, and isotopes through a presentation.
Magic of Physics
Solar Panel
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...
Physics Classroom
Charge and Charging
Does your class understand how things become charged? Are you positive? Before negative grades emerge, assign a fun interactive! The first in the five-part Static Electricity series contains three levels of charge-related questions and...
Physics Classroom
Polarization
Are your young physicists static-savvy? Test their skills using an engaging interactive from the Static Electricity series! Learners evaluate scenarios to determine how charges move between conductors and insulators, then identify...
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Synthesis and Characterization of CdSe Quantum Dots
Does the size of a sample change the physical properties of that substance? It turns out it can! Young scientists combine physics and chemistry to synthesize CdSe quantum dots and record their color properties. Learners should notice a...
Teach Engineering
Understanding Elements
Nothing says organization quite like a table. The third lesson in a six-part Mixtures and Solutions unit teaches young scientists about elements and the periodic table. They learn how the periodic table is organized and about the...
Teach Engineering
Gumdrop Atoms
There's nothing sticky about the resource, unless you count the gumdrops! Scholars create a model of a lithium atom, complete with protons, neutrons, and electrons. It's just that these models are made with gumdrops and toothpicks.
Teach Engineering
The Building Blocks of Matter
Everything can be reduced to atoms. The first installment of a six-part Mixtures and Solutions unit focuses on the building blocks of matter. Scholars review basic atomic structure, including protons, neutrons, and electrons, in...
DiscoverE
Oranges and Batteries
Orange you glad you can make circuits using fruit? Young electricians learn about electric circuits and electricity. As part of the activity, they build a circuit with an orange and then with a banana.
Royal Society of Chemistry
Sub-Atomic Particles (14-16)
In 1897, J.J. Thomson discovered the electron, the first subatomic particle proven to exist. Scholars review their understanding of electrons, protons, and neutrons as they work through the puzzles. Each puzzle connects two or three...
Royal Society of Chemistry
Atomic Structure
Changing the number of neutrons in an atom makes it an isotope, but it does not change the element. Pupils complete logic puzzles, matching isotopes with their unique number of protons, neutrons, and electrons. Either on paper or timed...
Royal Society of Chemistry
Vanadium
Introduce your chemistry scholars to the periodic table's Goddess of Beauty! Through an interactive that highlights the transition metal vanadium, learners discover the colors produced in solution as vanadium changes oxidation state....
Royal Society of Chemistry
Sub-shells
Is your class in a quandary over quantum numbers? Change things up by adding games to the mix! Science scholars discover the shape, number of electrons, and number of orbitals in the s, p, and d sub-shells using an interactive.