Exploratorium
Balancing Stick
Have some physical science fun when studying the center of gravity or center of mass. Simply have balancing artists stand a dowel on one finger and keep it from falling over! A lump of clay is added and moved up along the dowel over a...
Exploratorium
Resonator
Construct a demonstration apparatus for your lesson on resonance. Instructions are provided here to assemble dowels and balls into swinging objects that have different frequencies. It is a neat visual to include during your lecture if...
Curated OER
Magnetic Levitation
A thorough investigation of magnetic levitation; this activity has four parts. First, physical scientists play with a wooden dowel and three disc magnets to review polarity and repelling action. Then they experiment with the strength of...
Curated OER
Sled Kite
Students make and fly a sled kite out of plastic garbage bags, dowel rods, and more. In this kite lesson plan, students plan the kite to have symmetry and make adjustments as they test it.
Curated OER
Freestanding Structures: A Tech Museum Floor Activity
Students attempt to design the tallest structure that they can with the given materials which are wooden dowels and rubber bands. They discuss the physics of their structure and how they would improve it the next time they built a...
Museum of Science
Water Balloon Catapult
Fire away! Using a couple of milk jugs, a dowel rod, and a yardstick, individuals build catapults to throw water balloons. Learners notice that the catapult is a simple machine. By making a target, the class has a chance to refine their...
Curated OER
Building Boats
Students research different types of boats in various time periods and cultures. Then they locate photographs and information about construction details of one type of boat. Students also use their research as the basis for designing and...
Curated OER
Fraction Flags
Students research flag designs and their geometric configurations. They design their own fraction flag and utilize the concepts of measurement, geometry and fractions to their designs. Each student attaches a craft stick or short dowel...
NorthEast Ohio Geoscience Education Outreach
Earth, Sun and You
Middle schoolers model Earth's revolution round the sun by walking a mini-globe around a lamp. You will assess whether or not they tilt and rotate the planet properly and that the revolution is counterclockwise. Discussion beforehand...
Curated OER
Wheels and Axles 1
Students investigate how and why wheels are used in different types of machines. They work in teams trying to move a heavy box with and without dowels and discuss which way is easier to move the box. Next, they conduct an experiment...
Curated OER
Newton's Ist Law
Fourth graders explore Newton's First Law of Motion. They conduct an experiment to observe what happens to a ball that is placed carefully on slippery ice. They also observe what happens to a dowel on the ice, then draw and label...
Curated OER
Science Lesson: Home-made Generator
Students are able to design and conduct an experiment related to electrical generation. They are able to list the factors that affect the amount of current that can be generated by a simple generator, such as the number of turns of...
Curated OER
Frontal Impact Safety Challenge
Students create a vehicle that can withstand frontal impact. In this vehicle building lesson plan, students design a vehicle from paper, card stock, a rubber band, and a dowel rod. This vehicle must protect a raw egg when it is smashed...
Curated OER
Just a Little Bit of Effort: Exploring Levers
Students build models of types of levers. In this simple machines lesson, students use dowels and modified wooden rulers to build different types of levers. They compete to create the most efficient lever in the class.
Curated OER
Making/Building Kites
Students explore kite making. In this cross curriculum fine arts and ancient Chinese history lesson, students activate prior knowledge about how kites were used in ancient Chinese culture. Students sketch an original kite design, then...
Curated OER
Pitchy Patch Puppet
Students make a puppet. They use magazines, construction paper and a dowel rod to construct the puppet. This activity is part of a Caribbean Unit. A link for additional art lessons is included on this website.
Curated OER
Papunya Dot Paintings
Students create examples of Papunya Dot Paintings using brushes, tempera or acrylic paints, dowel rods, and paper in this Art lesson for any grade or ability level. Examples of Papunya Dot Paintings are included as resource links.
The New York Times
Breathing With a Pinwheel
A pinwheel encourages deep breathing to calm one's body and recenter their thoughts. Scholars breathe into a personal pinwheel with different types of breathing patterns then answer a question about how they feel.
Curated OER
Kokeshi Dolls
Pupils create Kokeshi Dolls using paints, dowel ends and glue. They research the traditions and history of Hina Matsuri, or girls' day in Japan.
Curated OER
Wavelength And Resolution
Students perform a simulation of the workings of an electron microscope to discover that the resolution will need to improved to detect objects in the nano-scale. They use wooden dowels as detectors to determine the shape of objects in...
Curated OER
Dialect Awareness in Literature and Life
Eighth graders realize the impact of dialect in literature as well as their own speaking and writing by reading selections from Frances O'Roark Dowell's novel, Dovey Cove.
Curated OER
Power, Work and the Waterwheel
Middle schoolers use a two-liter bottle, dowel rod and index cards to design and construct a water wheel. They then calculate the power created and measure the work done by the water wheel in Watts and Joules.
Curated OER
Breaking Energy
Students experiment with the amount of work required to break a piece of wood by hanging masses from a string attached to a thin dowel of wood. At the completion of activity, students calculate if a fast moving hand could break the dowel.
Roald Dahl
The Twits - The Monkeys Escape
Houses come in all shapes and sizes, but not all houses are safe from Mr. and Mrs. Twit. The 10th lesson in a unit designed to accompany The Twits by Roald Dahl turns learners into architects. While designing houses for the monkeys, they...