PBS
Primary Source Set: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
What did Jo write her stories with? How did the March sisters dress? A primary source set designed for Louisa May Alcott's Little Women prompts learners to look over images of household items and clothes from the 1860s before...
Teach Engineering
Watt Meters to Measure Energy Consumption
It used watt amount of energy? This resource investigates the power usage of small household appliances. Using a watt meter, groups measure the actual wattage used by an appliance and then calculate the energy used daily.
Teach Engineering
Red Cabbage Chemistry
Using the natural pH indicator of red cabbage juice, groups determine the pH of different everyday liquids. As they work, pupils gain an understanding of pH that may help deal with contaminants in the water supply.
IMAX
Hubble
Explore what it takes to service the Hubble telescope. In the set of three activities, groups investigate several aspects of the Hubble telescope, including robotic arms used during repairs, spacesuits, and extravehicular activity (EVA)...
Space Race
Sensory Detectives
Test your learners' sensory awareness with three hands-on activities that ask pupils to use their other senses to identify and describe everyday objects hidden from sight.
Teach Engineering
Density Column Lab - Part 2
Groups suspend objects within layers of liquids to determine the densities of different liquids and compare them to the densities of objects calculated in Part 1. The groups then carefully test their calculations by layering the...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Where There Is Charge, There Can Be Sparks!
In this short science project you will learn how to build a capacitor using common household items. By testing different charge cycles, you will work to discover how much charge is stored in a Leyden jar capacitor.
Technovation
Curiosity Machine: Challenge: Build a Blooming Flower
Can you create a blooming flower that would attract pollinators? This Curiosity Machine project challenges students to make this flower using common household items. Site includes a place for students to document their process as well as...
Technovation
Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Design a Wind Up Mars Rover
Using common household items, students are challenged to build a Mars rover that can travel using elastic energy. Site includes a lesson plan, tips, and a place for students to document their design process.
Technovation
Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Engineer a Space Tool
Using common household items, make a tool that an astronaut could use to pick up an object in space. This site also includes tips, lesson plans, and a place for students to document their engineering design process.
Technovation
Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Build a 3 D Object Out of Tetrahedra
Can you build a 3-D object out of tetrahedra that is as big as you are? With this challenge, students will be using common household items to build their tetrahedra structure. Site contains the challenge, tips, a lesson plan, and a place...
Technovation
Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Balance a Dinosaur
Using common household items, students are challenged to build a dinosaur at least 6" tall that can balance on two legs using counterbalances. This website contains the challenge, tips, a lesson plan, and a place for students to document...
Physics Central
Physics Central: Physics in Your Glass: Racing Molecules
An easy experiment for demonstrating and exploring molecule movement requiring common household items: two glasses, two dark colors of food coloring, and warm and cold water. A few variations to the experiment will have students using...
Center of Science and Industry
Cosi Columbus: Cabbage Patch Chemistry [Pdf]
Make your own indicator by using red cabbage leaves and common household items. Includes full list of materials, procedures, and scientific explanation of how to determine if a substance is acidic, basic, or neutral based on the colors...
Teachers TryScience
Teachers Try Science: Let It Roll
Here's an easy experiment, using common household items, that will show you all ball bearings work.
NASA
Nasa: Paper Comet Model With a Deep Impact [Pdf]
If you're interested in making a comet model from common household items, check out these instructions.