Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Get Connected with Ohm's Law
Ideal for your electricity unit, especially with middle schoolers, this lesson plan gets engineers using multimeters in electrical circuits to explore the relationships among voltage, current, and resistance. Older learners may even plot...
Exploratorium
Laser Jello
The concepts of refraction and reflection gel with your physical science class during this colorful exploration. Shining lasers through Petri-dish-shaped gelatin desserts, they will notice how the light travels and bounces off the sides....
Curated OER
Diversity: Using Light to Filter Prejudices
High schoolers use physics to discuss diversity. In this social interaction lesson, students use their knowledge of colors and filters to relate it to stereotyping and prejudices.
Curated OER
Traffic Light Tag
Students practice moving at slow and fast speeds. They are given a red, yellow and green ball, each representing its corresponding traffic light. When tagged, that student must then move at the speed associated with the color ball that...
Curated OER
The Connection Between Pigment and Light Colors
Learners explain the mole concept and use this concept to prepare chemical solutions of particular molarities.
Curated OER
Who Turned on the Lights?
Seventh graders discuss how energy is transformed from one form to another. In this physics lesson, 7th graders design and build their own hydro generator. They identify the factors that affect its energy production.
Curated OER
The Physics of Hummingbirds: Magic in the Air
High schoolers study hummingbirds and how they use Newton's law. In this motion lesson students complete several activities and view videos of hummingbirds.
Curated OER
Burning vs. Heating
Students investigate burning vs. heating and observe the differences. In this burning vs. heating lesson plan, students observe a wooden splint burning and a piece of glass tubing being heated. They answer questions to compare the two...
Curated OER
Things That Glow: From Fireflies to Quantum Dots
Third graders observe light energy. In this heat and energy lesson, 3rd graders will study the concept of light as a form of energy. Students will examine the different forms of light and the type of energy it produces.
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Jell-O® Waveguide and Power Loss
Jell-O® can help model the transmission of light through fiber optic cables. Young scientists use the jiggly dessert to make a waveguide to transmit a laser beam from one point to another. Their models help them learn the function of...
NASA
Supernova Chemistry
By measuring the wavelength, frequency, and intensity of electromagnetic radiation, scientists determine the temperature, density, and composition of far away items. Scholars rotate through ten lab stations using a spectroscope at each...
University of Texas
Lives of Stars
Stars exist from a few million years to over 10 billion years, depending on their mass. Scholars perform a play acting as stars to learn about their different life cycles. They develop an understanding of many of the fundamental concepts...
Teach Engineering
Bubbles and Biosensors
Bubbles aren't just for children. In the third installment of a seven-part series, teenagers use bubble solution to create bubbles and observe patterns of refraction on the bubble surfaces. Application of this concept to thin films in...
Curated OER
Vision and Optics: Light and Lenses
Students gain a conceptual comprehension of the functioning of the Human Eye in relation to optics and optical vision correction. They explore optics with light sources and various lenses, relating these to visual acuity, accommodation,...
Curated OER
Physical Science: Magnetism and Electricity
Students use a variety of objects to test for ability to "stick" to a magnet. They perform an experiment to see that electricity in circuits can produce light, heat, sound, and magnetic effects. They discover magnets attract and repel...
Curated OER
Physical Properties of Matter
Students examine the physical properties of matter. They identify and classify a variety of objects based on their physical properties.
Curated OER
The Physics of the Planets: How 16th and 17th Century Physicist Helped Us Understand Our Solar System
Eighth graders draw the paths of the planets in the solar system. In this astronomy lesson plan, 8th graders calculate speed of objects using distance and time information. They research about the work of scientists in the 16th and 17th...
Curated OER
Let There Be Light
Fifth graders explore electricity. In this electricity lesson, 5th graders experiment with open and closed circuits. Students determine how to properly connect a battery and bulb to illuminate the bulb.
Space Awareness
Model of a Black Hole
Even light cannot leave the force of a black hole! Learners use a model to explore the gravitational force of a black hole. An elastic bandage and heavy ball serve to create the hole, while marbles become the victims of its strong force.
It's About Time
Curved Mirrors
Discover concave and convex mirrors using a laser light. Scholars experiment with real and virtual images before reading a handout and completing homework questions. Included extensions greatly benefit learners, so take advantage of the...
Virginia Department of Education
Weathering of Limestone
We all know limestone weathers, but what affects the rate of weathering? Young scientists investigate the physical and chemical weathering of limestone (chalk) through experimentation. First, they conduct trials with different-size...
Serendip
Where Does a Plant's Mass Come From?
Where does the mass for a growing tree come from? Scholars consider a few different hypotheses and guess which is correct. They then analyze data from different experiments to understand which concepts science supports.
NOAA
Biological Oceanographic Investigations – Through Robot Eyes
How can a robot measure the length of something when we don't know how far the camera is from the object? The lesson explains the concept of perspective and many others. Scholars apply this knowledge to judge the length of fish and the...
National Institute of Open Schooling
Hydrogen and s-Block Elements
Lesson 19 in the series of 36 analyzes the element hydrogen and the s-block elements. Through readings, answering questions, and discussion, learners write about and explain their occurrence, physical and chemical properties, and uses.