Curated OER
Sled Kite
Learners 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.
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...
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
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
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
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.
Curated OER
Power, Work and the Waterwheel
Students 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
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
Learners 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
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...
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 activity in a unit designed to accompany The Twits by Roald Dahl turns learners into architects. While designing houses for the monkeys,...
Curated OER
Color, Light, and Excited Electrons
Investigate color, light and excited electrons and produce waves using slinkys. Your high schoolers will observe a continuous spectrum with a prism and an overhead projector. They observe flame tests to identify elements and they observe...
Curated OER
Planetary Place Value
Third graders explore place value to the ten thousands place. This incredibly thorough, 24-page lesson has learners construct, order, and compare numbers to 9,999. This three-day lesson includes reteaching and extension activities...
US Department of Energy
Magnets on a Stick: A Magnetic Force Demonstration Device
Why do some magnets attract while others repel? Scholars use clearly labeled permanent magnets to explore the attractive question. They compare the behavior of like versus opposite poles to find the answer.
Curated OER
Simple Machines IV - Wheels and Axles
Youngsters are introduced to the basic principles and uses of the wheel and the axle. They come up with every day examples of simple machines and look into why the wheel and the axle are best-used as a paired machine instead of used...
Dick Blick Art Materials
“Rhythm in Layers”
Young artists learn to build rhythm into a design by repeating colors, shapes, and patterns in a 3-D sculpture activity.
Curated OER
Magnets---Polarity
Students identify and describe the poles of a magnet. They demonstrate how the poles interact with one another.
Curated OER
Sled Kite Proportions
Students build sled kites. in this kite building lesson, students must read directions for kite building and enlarge the proportions of the given kite pattern. Students focus on the angles and line of symmetry in their kite.
Curated OER
Oscillations
Students construct and compare the actions of various pendulums. In this pendulum motion lesson, students build and test different types of pendulums. They conduct experiments with the length of the swing arm and apply mathematical...
Curated OER
Bubbles
Learners observe the characteristics of bubbles. In this scientific inquiry lesson, students use a bubble solution and a wand to make bubbles and observe their characteristics. Learners identify the shape and the color of the bubbles.
Curated OER
Korean Folk Paintings - The Symbolic Tiger
Students read Korean folktale The Tiger and the Dried Persimmon, discuss story's symbolism, consider why tiger is important Korean symbol, and view variety of Korean folk paintings. Students then create their own tiger paintings,...