Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bolts Out of the Blue

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students research different types of lightning patterns and compare their origins to an experiment on static electricity. They research different types of lightning, and explain how different light patterns result from those charges.
PPT
Curated OER

Jeopardy 8th Grade (Science)

For Teachers 7th - 8th
There are so many topics touched upon in this Jeopardy-style science game, that it is difficult to classify! The categories include electricity, matter, ecology, earth and space, and scientific investigation. This would best be used at...
PPT
Curated OER

2005 Grade 8 Science Released Test Questions

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Here is a collection of 22 multiple-choice questions on topics from the physical and life sciences. Apparently they came from an 8th grade comprehensive science exam and have been released for public use. They may serve as a sufficient...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Brown Bag Science

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Students discover, through the discovery method, how electricity works. They construct a simple circuit and a parallel circuit, make an electrical motor work and add a switch to turn it on and off.
PPT
Curated OER

Autograph Hunt Circuits Symbols

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Use this presentation as a way to review circuits in the classroom. It could provide a jumping-off point for a discussion of this topic, or as a review once the main concepts have been covered. Augmenting it with more information would...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Design Project: Voltmeter

For Students 11th - Higher Ed
In this physics instructional activity, students design and build a multi-range voltmeter. They answer 3 short answer problems about the device.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Design Project: Power Inverter

For Students Higher Ed
For this physics worksheet, students design and build a power inverter given a schematic diagram. They answer 3 short answer questions about the circuit they created.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Circuits

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students draw a schematic diagram of parts needed to build an op-amp. In this physics activity, students test the operation of their machine. They graph and analyze data using excel.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Electrical Engineering - The Inside Story

For Teachers 3rd - Higher Ed
Students review electricity. In this physics lesson plan, students attempt to find a way to determine if a transformer is fixing to fail. The lesson reviews electricity concepts that the students should already be familiar with.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Parallel Circuits

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Students investigate the way an electrical circuit works. In this physics lesson, students use voltmeters and ammeters to measure voltage. They construct a circuit using provided circuit kits.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Electricity

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students experiment with a series of circuits. In this chemistry lesson, students discuss voltage, resistance and current as they flow through an electrical circuit. They work in pairs to solve the questions.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Electroscope

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students examine what an electroscope is and who invented it.  For this electrical lesson students build their own Emergency Radiation detector Electroscope.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Electricity

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students identify the relationship between batteries, circuits and voltage. In this physics lesson, students investigate the way batteries are put into different apparatus. They discuss why different machinery need different voltage of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Alessandro Volta: The Invention of the Voltaic Pile (The First Electric Battery)

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students conduct a series of experiments on electricity. In this physics lesson, students study the work of Alessandro Volta particularly his experiment on the the Voltaic Pail. They build their own Voltaic Pile to recreate his experiment.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

History of the Battery

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Students study the development of batteries. In this electrochemistry lesson, students compare the different types of batteries. They explore its applications especially in the medical field.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Improvement of the Electric Light Bulb

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Young scholars study how the first electric light was made and the history behind it.  In this electricity lesson students create their own light bulb.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lightning

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students study lightening and the history behind how it was used for electricity.  In this electricity lesson students complete several experiments on the invention of the lightning rod.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Who Turned on the Lights?

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders discuss how energy is transformed from one form to another. In this physics lesson, 7th graders design and build their own hydro generator. They identify the factors that affect its energy production.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Energy Efficiency: It really IS important!

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed
Students compare the energy needed to produce new products versus recycling. In this physics lesson, students brainstorm ways to save energy. They create a presentation about the correlation between conserving energy and energy costs.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Is That Icebox Green?

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders create a timeline of the development of electrical appliances. In this physics lesson, 7th graders explore energy consumption over the past 90 years. They create a poster about their chosen electrical device detailing its...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Student Power Use

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners calculate the energy usage in their bedroom. For this physics lesson, students compare their energy consumption during school days and weekends. They recommend ways to save energy.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Howdy Neighbor

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students role play a power grid set up to show how increased load affects the grid. For this physics lesson, students explain the importance of electricity in their daily lives. They identify the key components of the power grid.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The REAL Transformers

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders create a model of a hydroelectric generator. In this physics lesson, 9th graders discuss how energy can be transformed from one form to another. They make a flow chart for different energy generating plants.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Understanding Power using Kirchhoff’s Rules

For Teachers 12th
Twelfth graders cite real life applications of Kirchhoff's rules. In this physics lesson, 12th graders calculate current, power and voltage using Kirchhoff and Ohm's laws. They explain the different components and uses of transformers.