What happens to the momentum of an object when it strikes another object? Scholars roll a marble down a ramp so it collides with another marble. By measuring the speed of each marble before and after the collision, pupils answer this...

Militaries throughout history have used topography information to plan strategies, yet many pupils today don't understand it. Scholars use Legos and a contour gauge to understand how to construct and visualize topographic profiles. This...

Ron Toomer, a famous roller coaster designer, suffered from motion sickness. Pupils design their own roller coasters, learning about potential and kinetic energy in the process. Labs focus on the importance of drop height, energy...

If the delay between a sound and its echo is less than 1/10th of a second, the human ear can’t distinguish it. Through the use of a Slinky, rubber band guitar, and straws, scholars explore where sound comes from and how it travels....

Electrons flow from negative to positive, but the general consensus is that current flows from positive to negative. Scholars explore current through construction of circuits in both series and parallel. The focus is on voltage,...

An interactive lesson places pupils as scientists who must learn why the ozone layer is being destroyed by analyzing the data from multiple satellites. The first analysis shows how UV is related to the ozone cycle. The second...

Resistance is not futile, it is voltage divided by current. A creative simulation presents a wire graphic and allows participants to alter the area, length, and resistivity. As scholars increase or decrease a variable within the...

Star light, star bright, first star I see ... wait a minute, where did the star go? Scholars complete a simulation that measures the brightness of a distant star as another object passes in front of it. Learners move the passing...

Nuclear power provides about 20 percent of the energy generated in the United States. The seventh activity in the series of 12 tackles nuclear power. After sharing what they know about nuclear energy, scholars complete a...

Fluffy is one of the most common names for a pet frog. Fluffy, the digitized frog in this dissection kit, opens up quite literally to allow scholars to see what's inside. The basic kit encourages pupils to click on various organs to see...

Why did the waves get into a fight? They were tired of each other's interference. Scholars observe the wave patterns from dripping water, sound waves, and light waves. They vary the spacing, build barriers, and increase the number...

Does light affect molecules or does it go right through them? The simulation explores four different types of light: microwave, infrared, visible, and ultraviolet. Scholars alter the energy level of each as it is aimed at seven different...

Does size or mass impact gravitational pull? Scholars experiment with force pairs to answer that question. They can change the size, mass, and distance between the objects using an engaging simulatoin. This allows pupils to visualize the...

What would happen if your entire world was flipped upside down? In addition to changing the distance and size of an object, lenses flip the image upside down. The simulation allows scholars to vary the object, move the object, move the...

We can't see most gases and we can't see things at the molecular level — but that's about to change! A simulation shows pupils the activity of molecules in a gas. The simulation allows scholars to vary the volume, heat, and...

An engaging tutorial teaches all about the sun. Learners see its different layers, explore the sun using different filters, and read about its different features. They then choose one feature to research and explore further. 

Do you work better under pressure? Pupils explore pressure when altering fluid density, gravity, container shape, and volume. Units can be converted to kPa, atm, and psi. To finish, scholars describe pressure as a function of depth,...

An exciting activity has scholars use cell parts to build bacteria through cooperation with other groups. Each group has some of the cell parts needed, but they must trade with other groups to be able to fulfill their function as a...

How would a pendulum work on the moon or Jupiter? To answer that question scholars control up to two pendulums including their location, length, mass, and amplitude. Added controls include changing the friction and strength of gravity....

Is assembling the periodic table as simple as Tetris? Scholars arrange colored cards into a logical order and then make connections to the arrangement of the periodic table. Hands-on activities include adding trend arrows and analyzing...

Steel is a man-made alloy or a mixture of metals. Lesson 18 in this series of 36 focuses on metals and their extraction from Earth. Individuals read about, discuss, and answer questions after learning how people find most metals, the...

Scientific studies show the older we get, the more acidic we become. The activity extensively teaches high schoolers about acids and bases. By the end of the 14th installment of 36, they can define and explain three concepts of...

Le Chatelier's interest in thermodynamics and building materials such as cement and plaster led to the Le Chatelier Principle in 1884. Activity 13 in a series of 36 extensively explores chemical equilibrium. Learners read about...

The theory of keystone species in an ecosystem was first established in 1969 by Robert T. Paine. Pupils open the final lesson in a five-part series with a game guessing which member of the alpine ecosystem they are based on clues. After...