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Worksheet
Curated OER

Foucault Pendulum Worksheet

For Students 5th - 8th
Many museums and observatories have a Foucault pendulum set up to demonstrate Earth's rotation upon an axis. This worksheet would be especially valuable if you happen upon one of these displays during a field trip. You could also find a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Foucault's Pendulum

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate how the motion of the Foucault pendulum proves that the Earth is rotating. They research the Internet about pendulums and conduct an experiment online. They view a multimedia presentation about pendulums and read...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Foucault's Pendulum

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars explain how the motion of the Foucault pendulum proves that the earth is rotating.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth Turns? Prove It!

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students construct a pendulum using a washer and thin fishing line. In this earth science lesson, students simulate Earth's rotation using the pendulum bob and swivel chair. They explain how this activity proves that the Earth is indeed...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Science of Changing Seasons

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students explore basic principles of seasonal change, ponder the mechanisms that drive these changes, and perform experiments that show what causes the earth to heat differently during different seasons.
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Foucault Pendulum

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students learn about the Foucault pendulum, an engineering tool used to demonstrate and measure the Earth's rotation. Student groups then create small experimental versions, each comprised of a pendulum and a video camera mounted on a...
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Handout
Smithsonian Institution

Encyclopedia Smithsonian: Foucault Pendulum

For Students 9th - 10th
Provides a detailed description of the Foucault Pendulum and how it works. It was originally built to demonstrate the rotation of the Earth.
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Handout
New Advent

Catholic Encyclopedia: Jean Bertrand Leon Foucault

For Students 9th - 10th
A lengthy biographical sketch from The New Advent of Jean-Bertand-Leon Foucault (1819-1868 CE) physicist and mechanician. Discusses his upbringing, scientific work, major accomplishments and published articles. Please note that "The...
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Unit Plan
National High Magnetic Field Laboratory

Magnet Academy: Foucault's Disk

For Students 9th - 10th
Leon Foucault, a French physicist much better known for his pendulum demonstrating the rotation of the Earth, also created in 1855 a device that illustrated how eddy currents work. (Java tutorial)
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Website
PBS

Pbs Kids: Zoom Science: Introduction to Pendulums

For Students 3rd - 5th
What is a pendulum? What makes it swing? Who was Leon Foucault? Discover the answers to these and related questions.
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Website
The Franklin Institute

The Franklin Institute: Clocks Teaching Time

For Students 1st - 5th Standards
This site from The Franklin Institute presents a number of activities, games, exhibits, scavenger hunts, resources, links related to clocks and telling time.