Read Works
Read Works: The Shocking Truth
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about Ben Franklin's discovery of electricity. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
Ducksters
Ducksters: Kids Science Projects and Experiments: Electric Circuit
Kids learn by experimenting with science. Project on building an electronic circuit.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Get Charged!
Students are introduced to the idea of electrical energy. They learn about the relationships between charge, voltage, current and resistance. They discover that electrical energy is the form of energy that powers most of their household...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Take Charge!
Students come to understand static electricity by learning about the nature of electric charge, and different methods for charging objects. In a hands-on activity, students induce an electrical charge on various objects, and experiment...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Go With the Flow
Students gain an understanding of the difference between electrical conductors and insulators, and experience recognizing a conductor by its material properties. In a hands-on activity, students build a conductivity tester to determine...
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Magnetic Suction
An experiment to find out how an old-style doorbell works.
Science is Fun
Science Is Fun: Bending Water
An experiment where static electricity is used to 'bend' a stream of water flowing from a faucet. Includes a detailed explanation of how this works.
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Magnetic Pendulums
See how electricity and magnetism interact with this activity. Activity has students creating a current by swinging a copper coil through a magnetic field. The copper coil will start a second coil swinging as well.
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Stripped Down Motor
Learn how to make an electric motor in this simple activity.
Physics Aviary
Physics Aviary: Practice Problems: Mass and Speed of a Particle
Determine the mass and speed of a particle being fired through variable magnetic and electric fields. This problem is done after students determine the charge of an electron using the Millikan Oil Drop Experiment.
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Motor Effect
Create a simple device to see how a force is exerted on a current by a magnetic field. This activity shows how an electric motor can be made with this force.
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Cup Speaker
This activity will have students creating their own speaker with a paper cup, coil of wire, and magnet. The speaker operates by changing electric current into sound.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Building an Electromagnet
Student teams investigate the properties of electromagnets. They create their own small electromagnet and experiment with ways to change its strength to pick up more paper clips. Students learn about ways that engineers use...
Colorado State University
Little Shop of Physics: The Amazing Physics of Everyday Objects
Try out these experiments you can do with items you might already have around the house: "Two Ball Bounce," "Cartesian Diver," "Straw Flute," "Bernoulli Ball," and others. Two experiments, "Imploding Pop Can" and "Balloon in a Bottle,"...
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Flying Tinsel
Can you make tinsel fly? In this activity, experiment with positive and negative charges to suspend tinsel into the air!
Concord Consortium
Concord Consortium: What Are Nature's Building Blocks?
Activity 3 of this module investigates: How do we know what's inside an atom? From Ernest Rutherford's Gold Foil Experiment to his investigation of the Plum Pudding model, students become aware of the Nuclear Model of an Atom. Also in...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Build a Reed Switch Motor
After building a simple electric motor from a kit, with this experiment you can explore how voltage affects motor speed. The Science Buddies project ideas are set up consistently beginning with an abstract, objective, and introduction,...
Other
Lcs: Experiments on the Electrolysis of Sodium Chloride
Complete directions several methods of conducting the electrolysis of sodium chloride solution. Helpful tips, discussion and a diagram of the apparatus and set-up is provided. Easily adaptable as a student lab or project.
Thinkport Education
Thinkport: Analyzing Data Sources and Author's Purpose: Electric Currents
In this science-themed literacy lesson, students learn how to determine the author's purpose and follow the development of that purpose.
PBS
Pbs: American Experience: Rescue at Sea
Companion website to the PBS documentary on the collision of two ships in 1909 and the reliance on the newly invented telegraph for rescue.
Other
Experience Hendrix: The Official Jimi Hendrix Website
This is the official Jimi Hendrix website. Here you will find much information on this rock legend including audio, articles and pictures.
Smithsonian Institution
Lemelson Center: Spark!lab: Make a Light Bulb
This lab shows students how to make a light bulb using 6V battery, wire, cork, and a nail. Print a form where you can record your results.
SRI International
Performance Assessment Links in Science: Mystery Card 3
Straightforward introduction to electrical circuits using minimal materials and time. Students learn about the basics of electrical circuits by experimenting with "mystery cards" -- index cards with hidden aluminum foil used to conduct...
Museum of Science
Museum of Science and Industry: Online Science: Make a Circuit Board
Step-by-step illustrated instructions showing how to build a circuit board using everyday materials.