Activity
Exploratorium

Corner Reflector

For Teachers 5th - 7th
If you set up a triad of mirrors into a corner figuration, they act as a kaleidoscope, bouncing light waves back and forth indefinitely, changing the light that your eyes perceive. Although the materials required are very specific and...
Activity
Exploratorium

Thread the Needle

For Teachers 4th - 6th
If you are setting up a rotation lab where learners are investigating vision at different stations, this activity can be used to explore depth perception. Setting up a giant needle eye, students attempt to pass a pencil through it with...
Activity
Exploratorium

Take It From the Top

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Experiment with the center of gravity by stacking blocks in a way that appears to defy its force. This is a fascinating demonstration that you can use when teaching about gravity, forces, or balance. 
Activity
Exploratorium

Water Sphere Lens

For Teachers 4th - 7th
With a Florence flask or fishbowl, make a double convex lens and use it to examine an image. Because of the refraction, the image will be inverted. A simple explanation is provided here for you to share with your class as they...
Activity
Exploratorium

Squirming Palm

For Teachers 4th - 8th
You will need an electric drill and some Velcro™ in order to have this activity available for your class. It is, however, an intriguing display of optical illusion. After watching a spinning disk (provided), viewers look at one of...
Activity
Exploratorium

Resonator

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Construct a demonstration apparatus for your lesson on resonance. Instructions are provided here to assemble dowels and balls into swinging objects that have different frequencies. It is a neat visual to include during your lecture if...
Activity
Exploratorium

Seeing Your Retina

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Using a dimmed flashlight, life science learners can see the network of blood vessels that line the back of their eye. Darken the room and let them try this activity as part of your unit on the eyeball. Also consider some of the other...
Activity
Exploratorium

Whirling Watcher

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Pupils put together their own stroboscopes so that they can observe how cyclically moving images appear to merge into a singular object. This, and several other activities published by the same source, illuminate the way the brain...
Activity
Exploratorium

Your Sense of Taste

For Teachers 4th - 6th
A simple and sweet activity shows students how important smell is in interpreting flavor. Pairs of pupils hold their noses and eat Life Savers®, only to find that they can't identify the flavors until they let go. You will appreciate...
Activity
Exploratorium

Bernoulli Levitator

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Two versions of this activity are presented for you to choose from when teaching about Bernoulli's principle in your physical science class. One is a hands-on activity, while the other would be best used as a demonstration during...
Activity
Exploratorium

Cheshire Cat

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Divide your field of vision in two and see what happens when your two eyes behold two different scenes! This is a way to demonstrate to body-systems buffs how the two eyes usually blend pictures to create a three-dimensional view. This...
Activity
Exploratorium

Bird in the Cage

For Teachers 5th - 9th
When your life science class is learning about the eye and how it works, you can add this activity as a demonstration of how the retina holds an afterimage. After staring at a red, green, or blue bird shape, pupils glance at a cage and...
Activity
Exploratorium

Marshmallow Puff Tube

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Let physical science stars experience Newton's first law of motion by blowing marshmallows out of cardboard tubes! Using different lengths of tubing, they find that more force is needed to overcome increasing friction, and they have a...
Activity
Exploratorium

Hot Spot

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Not only does a concave mirror focus light waves, it can also concentrate infrared radiation into a hot spot. If you have a small electric heater and such a mirror, demonstrate this for your physical science class.
Lesson Plan
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1
School Improvement in Maryland

Immigration Legislation

For Teachers 9th - 12th
What is the purpose of immigration legislation? How has this legislation evolved over the years? What are the factors that caused these changes? Class members research immigration legislation to determine whose rights the laws are...
Lesson Plan
Emergency & Community Health Outreach

Breast Cancer: Prevent, Detect, Treat

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Odds are, most of the members of your class know someone who has been affected by breast cancer. Teach them more about prevention through healthy lifestyles, detection with self-testing and mammograms, and the most effective treatments...
Lesson Plan
Library of Congress

Thomas Jefferson's Library: Making the Case for a National Library

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
The United States Library of Congress, the largest library in the world. But such was not always the case. The library was destroyed during the War of 1812. In a persuasive letter to Samuel H. Smith, Thomas Jefferson offered to sell his...
Lesson Plan
Curriculum Corner

Menu Math

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Getting a meal, side dish, drink, and dessert can be delicious—but it can be expensive too! Practice addition and subtraction with money in a lesson that focuses on a sample menu, complete with task cards and word problems.
Lesson Plan
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health

My Life—My Mental Health

For Students 6th - 8th
Between peer pressure, an onslaught of hormones, and brand new responsibilities, the teenage years can be emotionally volatile. Equip young adults with coping mechanisms and a safe place to discuss their feelings with a guided...
Lesson Plan
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health

My Life—My Reproductive Health

For Students 6th - 8th
Keep learners informed about their options and rights when it comes to their sexuality. An in-depth lesson plan guides teenagers through a discussion on sexually transmitted diseases, teen pregnancy, and emotional consequences to having...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Causes of America's Great Depression

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students identify principal causes of the Great Depression. They analyze causes including a decline in worldwide trade, the stock market crash, and bank failures and explain the legacy of the Depression in American society.
Unit Plan
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BioEd Online

Spiders in Space

For Teachers K - 12th Standards
Does a spider spin its web differently in space? What other ways might microgravity affect an arachnid? Pick a topic to research, plan an investigation, and follow astronauts on the International Space Station as they perform some of the...
Lesson Plan
1
1
BioEd Online

Arm Model

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Arm your young scientists with knowledge about anatomy as they build their own model of the elbow joint. Help them get a firm grasp on how muscles and bones interact to allow movement as they try different positions for the muscles on...
Lesson Plan
2
2
BioEd Online

The Skeleton

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Don't be chicken to try a lesson plan that compares the anatomy of birds to humans. Read the background information so you don't have to wing it when it comes to the anatomy of a chicken. Prepare cooked chicken bones by soaking them in a...

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