Curated OER
Building an Electric Motor
Students study different motors and how they convert electrical energy to mechanical energy. For this motor lesson students make a model of an electric motor and examine how it can be used to do work.
Curated OER
The Big Meltdown
Young scholars work together to develop a container to keep an ice cube in a solid state. They identify the three stages of matter and test different materials for this experiment. They share their results with the class.
Curated OER
Exploring Machine Trapunto
This machine quilting class will teach you how to add beautiful trapunto effects without having to make tiny slits in the back of your quilt. (Shops and teachers may use this description in their announcements, flyers, etc.)
Curated OER
Circuit City
Fifth graders are introduced to the concept of circuits and how electricity works. In groups, they design their own subdivision with houses in which they have inside and outside light sources. To end the activity, they make the...
Curated OER
Suck It Up
High schoolers investigate the "wicking capacity " of fabric; that is how well various fabrics draw water "perspiration" away from the body and let it vent to the outside. They brainstorm possible protocols to measure, tabulate and...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: What Is the Best Insulator: Air, Styrofoam, Foil, or Cotton?
That heat flows from hot to cold is an unfortunate truth of life. People have put a lot of effort into stopping this fact, however all they have been able to do is slow the process. Working in groups of three to four, students will...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: What Works Best in a Radiator?
Students learn the importance of heat transfer and heat conductance. Using hot plates, student groups measure the temperature change of a liquid over a set time period and use the gathered data to calculate the heat transfer that occurs....
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Which Materials Are the Best Conductors?
There are two main types of materials when it comes to electricity, conductors, and insulators. What are they made of? Find out by testing different materials in a circuit to see which ones conduct the most electricity.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Keep It Hot!
Student teams design insulated beverage bottles in this challenge, and test them to determine which materials work best at insulating hot water to keep it warm for as long as possible.
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Project Ideas: Which Materials Are the Best Conductors?
A simple science fair project to test whether electricity can flow between two things. The Science Buddies project ideas are set up consistently beginning with an abstract, objective, and introduction, followed by a section on terms,...
PBS
Pbs Teachers:nasa's Return to Flight: Testing Insulating Materials
Examine online articles about the Columbia mission accident and liquid fuel propulsion. Conduct an experiment to determine the best material for insulation.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Mn Step: What's the Coolest?
This is an investigation into how to insulate something so that it stays frozen. Young scholars will experiment with different materials to try to create the best cooler. They will then follow a procedure to make ice-cream, and learn...