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Activity
PBS

High Tech Fashion

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Creatively combine clothes and conductors. Pupils learn how to use conductive thread to make electric circuits. They apply the thread to design and build an accessory item with LEDs.
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Activity
PBS

Light Bulb Challenge

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
Efficiency equals money where homes are concerned. A comparative lesson asks learners to measure heat output of incandescent and compact fluorescent light bulbs. They follow their investigation with calculating the cost of using the two...
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Interactive
DocsTeach

Patent Analysis: Thomas Edison's Lightbulb

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
Watch lightbulbs go off in learners' heads as they look at a patent for Thomas Edison's most famous invention. After examining the light bulb patent, young historians speculate on how the invention changed life in the 1880s and its...
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Lesson Plan
University of Houston

The Snow Queen Study Guide

For Teachers K - 6th Standards
Even the kindest friends can become selfish and tyrannical in Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen." Class members complete story-themed exercises in language arts, social studies, and even physical science.
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Interactive
Physics Classroom

Electric Current

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Pupils focus on the flow of electricity as they work through three sections of questions as part of a series of lessons on electric circuits. The activities cover the fundamentals, case studies, and law breakers. Learners use conceptual...
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Interactive
Physics Classroom

Light Bulb Anatomy

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Scholars apply their understanding of circuits and electric pathways to many simulations. They move through three different activities and 18 questions, receiving immediate feedback after each answer. The lesson is part of a larger...
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Lesson Plan
Kenan Fellows

Electricity: Sources, Usage, Challenges, and the Future

For Teachers 9th - 12th
What does the future of energy look like? Junior engineers collaborate to discover a solution to the global energy crisis during a very hands-on lesson. The unit focuses on learning through collaboration to develop a deep understanding...
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Thomas Edison: Inventor and Entrepreneur

For Teachers 3rd - 7th Standards
How many of Thomas Edison's inventions do your scholars use every day? They might be shocked to find out! Young historians watch a video, analyze a photograph, and read one of Edison's letters to learn more about his life and impact....
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Activity
New Jersey Historical Commission and New Jersey Council for the Humanities

Thomas Edison: The Wizard of Menlo Park

For Teachers 1st - 6th Standards
What would change in your daily life due to a power outage? Here, learners explore the inventions brought to us by the one and only, Thomas Edison, and imagine a day without them. Scholars take part in a grand conversation and write a...
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Activity
DiscoverE

Make a Light Bulb

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Could you reinvent the light bulb? Scholars tap into their inner Thomas Edisons to build a light bulb prototype out of a jar and some wires. They see how long the filament wire glows in the jar (batteries not included) to measure their...
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Worksheet
NEST Family Learning

Thomas Edison: Resource and Activity Book

For Students 1st - 6th
What other inventions was Thomas Edison responsible for besides the telegraph and lightbulb? Incorporate a set of worksheets into your study of Edison and other inventors. The 48-page packet includes all types of activities from word...
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Lab Resource
Colorado State University

How Can You Demonstrate the Different Efficiencies of Different Light Bulbs?

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Need a bright idea for an engaging lab? Watch your class light up as they explore the difference in efficiency between incandescent and LED bulbs! The resource makes use of simple materials and encourages learners to infer what's...
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Activity
Exploratorium

Oil Spot Photometer

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Are these two light sources the same? Groups use a white card and a little cooking oil to create a photometer that allows for the comparison of two lights. The Inverse Square Law provides a way to calculate the actual difference in...
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Lesson Plan
Consumers Energy

Circuits and the Flow of Electricity Lesson Plan

For Teachers 6th - 10th Standards
I think I lost an electron. Are you sure? Yes, I'm positive! Starting with a hands-on demonstration and problem solving activity, young scientists define vocabulary related to circuitry and currents. Then they build their own circuits...
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Lesson Plan
Teach Engineering

Light Up Your Life

For Teachers 7th - 9th Standards
How do lighting types affect energy efficiency? Explore different types of lighting and the energy they use. Pupils learn about types of lights and calculate the energy used during a typical school year. They discover that being energy...
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Organizer
University of Florida

The Magic School Bus and the Electric Field Trip

For Students 2nd - 4th Standards
Energize a shared reading of the Magic School Bus and the Electric Field Trip with this collection of supplemental materials. Whether your looking for discussion questions, reading comprehension worksheets, or writing prompts, this...
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PPT
Curated OER

Thomas Edison's Bright Ideas

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Thomas Alva Edison may be one of the most well-known scientists to elementary or middle schoolers. Use his story to show that he invented more than just the light bulb and to inspire youngsters to work hard! You could use this on the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Comparing Light Bulbs

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders learn how light bulbs are different and which are more cost efficient.  In this energy and efficiency lesson, 3rd graders compare the cost of a light bulb and understand that its lifetime is important to their choice. 
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Worksheet
Scholastic

On or Off?

For Students 2nd - 4th
How does electricity work? Put an electric circuit into your own hands with a short experiment that makes a switch out of a battery, light bulb, and thumb tacks. Young scientists then respond to short answers about why the circuit works.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Impact of Inventors

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students examine the impact of inventors on our world. In this science instructional activity, students are given a time line of the invention of familiar objects. Students then evaluate some kid inventors and decide if they would make...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Energy Saving activities Lighting

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders study how light emits energy. In this energy savings lesson, 8th graders conduct two experiments to find ways to save energy. In one experiment students measure the light in each classroom and make recommendations for...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Electric Gameboards

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students explore the properties of electricity.  In this electricity lesson, students construct an electric game board circuit using their knowledge of a series electrical circuit. Students develop game ideas based on current curriculum,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Let's Light up a Light Bulb

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders investigate electricity.  For this electricity lesson, 3rd graders observe a familiar battery-operated toy and brainstorm reasons why and how the battery works.  Students work in pairs to explore batteries, bulbs, and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Inventions- The Impact

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students discuss the impact of certain inventions. In this technology lesson, students research Thomas Edison and the light bulb on the Internet and discuss how the invention impacted society. Students create their own simple inventions.