Virginia Department of Education
Metals, Nonmetals, and Metalloids
How can one easily classify metals, nonmetals, and metalloids? Pupils answer this question as they experiment with unknown substances and perform tests on conductivity, brittleness, and malleability to determine...
Curated OER
Saving on Lighting Energy Activity
For this saving energy worksheet, learners compare and contrast the effectiveness of compact fluorescent lighting, incandescent light bulbs, and light emitting diodes.
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Solar Kit Lesson #3 Parts of a Solar Panel - Part I
A solar cell is similar to a rechargeable battery in many ways. Science lab groups connect each in a series circuit to run a mini motor and then compare and contrast them by answering questions and completing a Venn diagram. This is an...
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Thomas Edison's Inventions in the 1900s and Today: From "New" to You!
Students research types of technology available to Americans at the beginning of the 20th century and compare the style of living to modern times. They identify Thomas Edison's contributions to technology and their own current lifestyles.
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Light Stick Chemistry
In groups of three with the lights off and the shades drawn, investigators place inactivated light sticks, in three beakers: one filled with ice water, another with lukewarm water, and the other with room temperature water. They wait...
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Series and Parallel Circuits
Students study simple circuits. After a demonstration of parallel and serial circuit designs, students work in teams to predict the difference between two circuit designs. They build examples of two different circuits and test...
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Parts of a Solar Panel-Part I
Students examine electrical contacts, solar cells, and rechargeable batteries and compare and contrast the characteristics of a solar cell to a rechargeable battery in a hands-on activity. Students complete a worksheet as they...
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Let's Celebrate Christmas!
Students compare and contrast Christmas with a variety of other holidays. They listen to the books "The Light of Christmas" and "Christmas," and generate a list about Christmas using Kidspiration computer software. Students discuss...
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A Tour in Sustainability
Students explore two LEED certified green buildings. They examine what is the LEED certification process and what constitutes a green building. They tour via the internet two LEED certified green buildings, while comparing and...
Teach Engineering
Human Power
How many humans does it take to power a light bulb? The 10th part of a 25-lesson Energy Systems and Solutions unit has learners conduct an experiment to calculate power. They then use the results to determine how many classmates they...
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Lights On!
Students work together to build their own simple circuits. They discover how electricity is conducted through light bulbs. They compare and contrast the differences beween a parallel and series circuit.
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African American Inventors Study
Students learn about African American inventors. In this inventing lesson, students are assigned an African American inventor to research. Students work in pairs to complete their research. Students write a compare and contrast paragraph...
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Let's Celebrate Christmas!
Students explore the celebration of Christmas as part of an investigation into the multicultural experiences of celebrating holidays. The story written by Richard Paul Evans, "The Light of Christmas" provides the basis for the exploration.
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How Hot Is Hot In Namib?
Learners research and demonstrate the temperatures of the Namibian Desert. They watch and discuss a video, conduct an experiment to demonstrate the desert temperatures, record their results in the form of a graph, and compare/contrast...
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Transformation of Energy-8th Grade
Eighth graders examine how electricity is produced in relation to the atom as well as what causes electric current to flow and what determines how much current flows through a circuit. These and other concepts of transformation of energy...
Physics Classroom
The Physics Classroom: Electric Circuits: Circuit Builder
Students manipulate this virtual electronic circuit board where they can add resistors, light bulbs, wires, and ammeters to build a circuit, explore Ohm's law, and compare and contrast series, parallel, and combination circuits. Three...