Curated OER
A Simple Motor
Instructions for building a simple electromagnetic motor are provided for the teacher. Aside from some sketchy background information and a list of content standards to be met, that is about all you will find in this resource. The motor...
Curated OER
History of Physics
For this history worksheet, students use the questions to discover meaningful science and history connections. The worksheet is meant to be viewed online to access individual answers.
Curated OER
Coulomb's Law
Students solve problems involving electric charges and force. For this physics lesson, student solve word problems using addition and subtraction of vectors. They identify the direction represented by a vector as it relates to an...
Curated OER
Circuit Boards
Students explore circuit boards. They determine that a complete circuit is needed to light the bulbs, experiment with the boards to develop strategies for finding where the hidden connections are, and develop strategies that can be used...
Curated OER
How to Be "Naturally Attractive" (Without Even Trying)
Students examine the various properties of magnets, explain how a compass works and make an electromagnet. They also experiment with magnetic lines-of-force using paper and iron filings.
Curated OER
Attract or Repel?
Students explain why some objects attract and some do not. In this physics lesson, students investigate the magnetic properties of objects using CEENBoT. They give some important applications of magnets.
Curated OER
Where's Up?
Fifth graders brainstorm answers to the question why compasses point north. In groups, they use introduce the needle to the different ends of the magnet. They place the needles in a styroform disk and record their results in their...
Curated OER
Charge It!
Pupils complete an experiment using balloons to help them examine the concept of static electricity. They discover how engineers use this information to create better air filters for homes. They describe how to charge an insulator as...
US Department of Energy
The Ring Fling Machine
Class members build a machine to demonstrate Lenz's law and help this scientific principle come to life. After building a ring fling machine, instructions for properly operating the machine and a few thought-provoking questions lead to...
Chymist
Make a Low Energy Radio Transmitter
How do you demonstrate radio transmissions? Pupils build a low-energy radio transmitter by constructing two coils from magnet wire and connecting them to audio/phone plugs. The resource provides the details on how to build the...
Exploratorium
Stripped Down Motor
Mostly for teacher's use, here are instructions for making a traditional electromagnetic motor and a detailed explanation of how it works.
Curated OER
Solar Car Series: Angle/Energy Amount
Does the angle of a solar panel change the output? Emerging engineers find out! Demonstrate for your class how they can angle a straw to match the angle of light rays coming from a source. Then turn them loose to experiment with the...
Curated OER
The Four States of Matter
The concise slides in this presentation give a good amount of detail for many aspects of matter chemistry. There are summaries and diagrams for particle movement in solids, liquids, gases and plasma.
Santa Monica College
Flame Tests of Metal Cations
Scientists used flame tests to identify elements long before the invention of emission spectroscopy. Young chemists observe a flame test of five metal cations in the fourth lesson of an 11-part series. Individuals then work...
Curated OER
Transformation of Energy-8th Grade
Eighth graders examine how electricity is produced in relation to the atom as well as what causes electric current to flow and what determines how much current flows through a circuit. These and other concepts of transformation of energy...
Curated OER
Magneto-hydrodynamic Drives
Students examine how electric and magnetic fields can be used to force water out of a chamber to move a vehicle forward.
Curated OER
Invisible Investigations
Students simulate how charged particles move in a particle detector. In this physics lesson, students observe how iron filings behave when magnetic marbles are passed underneath them. They record and draw their observations.
Curated OER
Aurora Borealis
Students discuss what causes the northern lights and the folklore attached to them. They discuss magnetic fields, and use various common materials to discover if ions conduct electricity.
Curated OER
The Conncection Lesson
Fourth graders see how electricity can flow through objects and can be used to do work. They construct a working circuit of their own and explain why it is able to do work. They get students familiar with what it takes to create a movie.
Curated OER
Static Cling
Students work together to discover the concept of static electricity. They participate in an experiment in which they test different objects charge. They make observations and record them for later use.
Curated OER
Powered Up About Electricity!
Students study the process of turning coal into electricity. In this electricity lesson, students are guided by their teacher through the steps required to turn coal into electricity. Students complete a worksheet answering questions...
Curated OER
Mystery Card 3
Students will make a circuit on a mystery card. They will connect wires, bulbs, and battery to form an electrical tester. After students learn how to make one following the directions, they can create their own mystery card by...
Curated OER
Sound and Hearing - Internet Research
Students use a website to help them recognize that sound is generated in a variety of ways and from different sources. They determine that sounds vary in tone and loudness, and learn there are different ways to describe sound.
Curated OER
Moving and Growing
Students work with a partner to brainstorm a list of as many human body parts as possible. Using that list, they circle any one of those that are bones. They are shown a model of the human skeleton and practice locating various bones. ...