Hear about a great resource on sound? An interesting hands-on activity has learners construct a device that will soundproof a phone or speaker. They test out different materials to see which ones best absorb sound waves.

The results of World War II made waves all the way to suburban life today. Examine the flight from the cities using images and documents from the 1950s building boom, including a quote analysis and political cartoons. The resource...

Scholars examine a document from 1928 featuring a mystery invention. Following their observations and discussion, the document reveals the invention of the permanent wave machine by Marjorie S. Joyner. Class members read about Joyner,...

Excerpts from Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan and from Gloria Steinem's "Living the Revolution" provide high schoolers an opportunity to study the feminism of the 1950s and 1960s, sometimes called the "Second Wave of Feminism."

Discover colonies! Young historians will listen to a primary source journal entry read aloud with a backdrop of wave sounds. They discuss the entry, add historical facts to a chart and personal insights to another. Then they listen to...

Here is a great hands-on activity that should lead to a greater understanding of salt water, why the ocean is salty, and how ocean waves are formed. This terrific, old-school lesson has clearly described activities, and all of the...

ELLs are introduced to the experiences of Filipino immigrants to the United States. As a class, they discuss the various waves of immigration to the United States and state the reasons why they would leave the Philippines. They compare...

Students research Russian Orthodox Christmas traditions in pre-soviet Russia and in other parts of the world. Then they create a handcrafted ornament in the style of old Russia. Students also decorate their Russian Star Ornament with...

Sound engineers investigate the structural design of a musical instrument, the recorder. They work in collaborative groups to choose an instrument to build out of everyday craft materials. It must be able to repeat a three-note sequence...

Beyond the glory of victory and the waving of flags, this presentation shows students a glimpse of the uglier side of war - specifically, the masscres and casualities of the Civil War. Students will learn about Nathan Bedford Forrest's...

This almost qualifies as an animation. The slides create a step-by-step demonstration of how longshore drift carries sediment along a beach. Arrows appear to show the movement of the waves and a single rock is transported along the way....

Some formatting issues will need repair (a few overlapping text boxes and pictures), but overall this is a comprehensive presentation on how light reflects off of spherical mirrors. Both convex and concave mirrors are explained,...

After calculating the amount of energy in a wave, future engineers plan and present to the class a design for a seawall that will minimize erosion on the shore. Not only must they consider the energy that will impact the wall, they also...

Examine the systems of the human body with a bold, charming, and kid-friendly application. This noteworthy tool is certain to get kids interested what goes on inside of them! The eye feature uses the tablet camera to view images and show...

After reading about radio transmission, application, and the difference between AM and FM, small teams of engineers use a kit to construct an FM radio and then send and receive broadcasts. This is an ideal activity for middle school STEM...

Using flexible mirror-like paper, physical scientists experiment with images produced by curving it and looking into its reflective surface. They find that concave mirrors cause reflected light waves to cross and actually flip the image...

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...

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.

If you weren't already blown away by first two installments, check out this clip on how gravity and space-time interact! Our physicist friends, Pontzen and Whyntie, continue their discussion of these motion concepts for your high...

Physical or earth scientists construct this clever contraption to demonstrate how size effects frequency. Several paper rings of various sizes are taped onto a board and shaken to create vibrations. The resonant frequencies are easily...

Pupils examine an article about tsunami warning systems and discuss why they are important. They conduct an experiment that shows how the velocity of a wave in water changes with the depth. 

Lighten up a bit with this activity! Use an old-fashioned overhead projector to shine light through a pair of polarizing filters. Place a stressed plastic object in between and display the colors of light waves revealed! Rotate the...

Through an experiment, learners explore how bats use echolocation. First, they discuss how sound travels through air waves. Then, they talk about the ways bats navigate in the dark. As an extension, they can write about what they have...

Explore the fascinating ways in which authors use specific literary devices to create interesting and realistic texts. Using non-fiction articles with the subject of rogue waves, an excerpt from The Perfect Storm, by Sebastian Junger,...