PHET
Faraday's Electromagnetic Lab
"But still try, for who knows what is possible." - Michael Faraday. Faraday's advice features in a simulation that permits pupils to play with a bar magnet in order to make a light bulb glow connecting electromagnetic induction to...
PHET
Energy Forms and Changes
Is the ice cooling down the water or is the water melting the ice? Here is a simulation that explores thermal energy transfer with iron, brick, and water. It demonstrates the flow of energy and what happens when each material is either...
PHET
The Greenhouse Effect
How do greenhouse gases impact temperature? Have your classes use the interactive software to explore different concentrations of greenhouse gases and their effect on climate. Learners can recreate different atmospheric concentrations...
PhET
Wave on a String
The sound waves of thunder are made when lightning very quickly heats the air surrounding it, expanding faster than the speed of sound. Learners explore waves through their own movement of string or set waves to constantly oscillate....
American Chemical Society
Chemical Reactions and Engineering Design
Construction leads to habitat loss and local wildlife suffers. Scholars must build a reptile egg incubation device that meets many constraints. Various experiments help them discover the chemical reaction needed to reach the proper...
PhET
Sugar and Salt Solutions
Ionic bonds form from electrostatic energy, allowing for higher conductivity than those seen in covalent bonds. In the simulation, learners add sugar and salt to water and see the effects on concentration and conductivity of their...
PhET
States of Matter
Water is the only molecule on Earth that can naturally exist in all three states of matter. The interactive simulation shows different molecules changing states of matter with the addition or removal of heat. Learners then see how...
PhET
Reactants, Products and Leftovers
Did you know when you mix the reactants sulfur, tungsten, and silver, you get the products SWAg? The simulation begins with making sandwiches, to show pupils reactants and products of something familiar. They then can make water,...
PhET
Radioactive Dating Game
Uranium 235 has a half-life of over 700 million years and is the fuel used in the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan. Pupils see the half-lives and decay rates of Carbon-14 and Uranium-238. They also take measurements of these two...
PhET
Isotopes and Atomic Mass
Some isotopes are unstable, or radioactive, meaning they will decay over time and turn into another isotope or stable element. In the interactive simulation, participants manipulate elements to create isotopes and gather information....
PhET
Molecule Shapes: Basics
In molecules, bonds rotate about the nucleus due to the repulsion of subatomic particles. In a simulation, learners manipulate the bonds of a molecule to meet the atoms' needs. They can then see the specific molecular shapes of five...
PhET
Build a Molecule
How many different molecules can you build? In a simulation, learners make molecules from given atoms. There are numerous collections from which to build three to five molecules from given kits of atoms. Scholars can also view their...
NASA
The Importance of Food
Pupils make observations while eating food. They act out the process of food breaking down in the body and the roles of various chemical components, such as sugar and protein. It concludes with an activity illustrating the process and a...
NASA
Biology Training Module
Are you a koalafied biologist? The lesson begins with research about human survival and our ecosystem. Then, an online training module simulates the effects of changes to the plants and animals in an ecosystem. Finally, scholars research...
PwC Financial Literacy
Finanacial Responsibility and Decision Making: Personal Information and Identity Theft
Elementary schoolers look into the very real, and scary, practice of identity theft. They discover the main techniques used by people who steal other people's identity. Learners produce an identity theft tip sheet and share their tips...
Journey Through the Universe
Impact Craters: A Look at the Past
The Galle crater on Mars is also known as the Happy Face crater because of its appearance. First, scholars use pebbles and flour to simulate craters and study their properties. They then apply this knowledge to help decipher the history...
Journey Through the Universe
Is There Anyone Out There?
What is an alien's favorite game? All-star baseball! Scholars start defining living and non-living. Then, they conduct experiments to research if life exists, keeping in mind that life could be in many forms, not just human.
PwC Financial Literacy
Planning and Money Management: Spending and Saving
Financial literacy is such an important, and often-overlooked, skill to teach our young people. Here is a terrific lesson which has pupils explore how to come up with a personal budget. They consider income, saving, taxes, and their...
PwC Financial Literacy
Saving and Investing: Investing for the Future
A fine activity on saving and investing is here for you and your middle schoolers. In it, learners explore the values of time and money, and discover how small amounts of money invested over time can grow into a large "pot of gold." They...
Henry Ford Museum
Human Impact on Ecosystems
An environmenta science unit includes three lessons plus a cumulative project covering the ecosystem. Scholars follow the history of the Ford Rouge Factory from its construction on wetlands and how it destroyed the environment to its...
PwC Financial Literacy
Buying a Home: Terms of a Mortgage
Buying a home, dealing with a lender, securing a mortgage; these are daunting tasks for many adults. Why not teach middle schoolers about this area of adulthood so they are better-prepared to make the leap into home ownership when they...
PwC Financial Literacy
Income and Careers: Career Exploration
Elementary schoolers take part in a virtual career day and are exposed to various career opportunities in the finance, education, and medical fields. By accessing a video you can download from the PwC Financial website, learners "shadow"...
PHET
Planetary Magnetism
What do magnetic fields look like? The best way to learn about magnetic fields is to try identifying them for yourself. Scholars will understand the importance of magnetic fields after completing this experiment. The extension activities...
PHET
Planet Designer: What’s Trending Hot?
Excite scholars to design their own planet in this first of five lessons. The lesson starts with a pre-activity assessment, a complete lesson plan that is easy to implement, and a post-activity assessment that would look great displayed...