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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's a Capacitor?

For Teachers 5th - 10th
Students explain concepts of charge storage, how a capacitor works and how DRAM uses capacitors to store memory. They construct a capacitor and use a multimeter with capacitance meter capability to measure the stored charge in the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Guide (on the Side) to Physics

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students engage in a lesson that is concerned with the concepts related to the study of Physics. They participate in class discussion and list common misconceptions of Physics. Students write and discuss the problem of Science illiteracy.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Is That Icebox Green?

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders create a timeline of the development of electrical appliances. For this physics lesson, 7th graders explore energy consumption over the past 90 years. They create a poster about their chosen electrical device detailing...
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Lesson Plan
Cornell University

Electromagnets

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Discover the connection between electric current and magnets. Scholars create electromagnets by passing a magnet through a coil. They experiment with different materials to determine the variables that affect the strength of the current.
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PPT
Curated OER

Nuclear Reactions - Rutherford's Alpha Scattering Experiment

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Neat! Show your physics class exactly how Ernest Rutherford fired alpha particles at a piece of gold foil and so determined that most of an atom is composed of empty space. Not just a slide show, but almost an animation, this...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Electrical Current

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students describe an electrical current and the factors that determine the resistance of an object.  For this electrical current lesson students discuss their knowledge of voltage, current and resistance.
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Interactive
PHET

Capacitor Lab

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
The first capacitor was a Leyden jar, invented in 1745. Physics scholars explore capacitors in an engaging simulation. They may view one or set up circuits which contain two to three either in series or parallel. Other views include...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Science Crossword Puzzle

For Students 6th - 8th
Class members read 25 clues about all areas of science, including biology, chemistry, weather, physical science, and insert their answers into a crossword puzzle. There is no word bank and the students would need experience with tough...
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Worksheet
2
2
K12 Reader

Waves and Currents

For Students 6th - 8th
Waves, currents, crests, and troughs. Using information provided in an article about waves and currents, readers define terms used to describe how energy travels.
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Lesson Plan
Carnegie Mellon University

Consumer Preferences in Lighting

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
What is a watt? This tongue-twisting, mind-bending question and others are answered through this instructional activity on the different lighting options available. With the support of a PowerPoint, teach your physical science class...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Call Me Bond, Hydrogen Bond

For Students 7th - 10th
As amazing as James Bond is, the surface tension of water does not allow him to walk on it! In this series of little lab activities, physical scientists play with the properties of water due to the hydrogen bonds and resulting polarity....
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Lesson Plan
1
1
University of Colorado

The Jovian Basketball Hoop

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
A radio receives radio signals, converts them to an electrical signal, then converts this signal to a sound signal, and amplifies the sound so people can hear it. Class members use this information to create a short-wave radio antenna...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Solar Kit Lesson #6: Solar-Powered Battery Charger

For Teachers 5th - 9th
In a previous activity, learners build an ammeter. That ammeter, or a pre-made one, is required in order to carry out this activity. The objective is for lab groups to design a way to connect solar cells that can recharge a battery....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Voltage Vantage

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students measure the voltage discharge of robots as the motors are used. In this physics lesson, students explain how to use a multimeter to measure voltage. They graph the voltage change over time and present their findings in class.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Simple Motor

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Instructions for building a simple electromagnetic motor are provided for the teacher. Aside from some sketchy background information and a list of content standards to be met, that is about all you will find in this resource. The motor...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Invisible Investigations

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students simulate how charged particles move in a particle detector. In this physics lesson, students observe how iron filings behave when magnetic marbles are passed underneath them. They record and draw their observations.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Separating Solids Experiment

For Students 7th - 8th
For this separating solids experiment worksheet, students follow the procedures to find what physical properties could be used to separate a mixture of pepper, salt, sand and iron filings.
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Activity
1
1
Teach Engineering

Gumdrop Atoms

For Teachers 5th - 7th Standards
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.
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PPT
Mr. E. Science

The Periodic Table

For Students 7th - 8th Standards
This science presentation focuses on the elements in the periodic table. It begins with the parts of an atom, explaining atomic mass and atomic number, valence electrons, and isotopes. Then it moves on to discuss various ways of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Spectroscopy Demonstrations

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Students study light and see what emits photons and that light can be separated onto a spectrum.  In this energy and matter lesson students identify gases using a spectrum chart. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Day In My Life

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Students brainstorm how they can conserve energy in their daily lives. For this energy lesson plan, students discuss how they use energy and ways to conserve it.
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Lesson Plan
Cornell University

Electroplating

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Silver pennies and copper nickels are made possible by applying some chemistry. Learners use electrolysis to coat a penny with zinc sulfate and a nickel with copper sulfate. Their investigation builds an understanding of electroplating...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wind Power for Educators

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students explore wind power as a renewable resource.  In this wind power lesson students build models of wind turbines and experiment with different changes to see if it increases efficiency. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Conductors, Insulators, and Semiconductors

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers will investigate the differences in conductivity of materials, design a variety of complete circuits, and observe the differences between the manner in which light is produced in an incandescent light bulb and an LED.