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Activity: LED Creations

Spruce up artwork by adding LEDs to drawings and paper sculptures. In this activity, children learn about conductivity, current flow, simple circuit design, and mechanical switches.

This activity and more can be found online at Creativity Catapult, from the Bay Area Discovery Museum in Sausalito, CA.,  is a research-backed, expert-curated collection of activities that promote creativity skills in children ages 2-14. Creativity Catapult is an online collection of activities to promote children’s creativity development. Curated by experts with contributions from esteemed education institutions from around the globe, Creativity Catapult is intended for practitioners charged with raising a generation of future innovators – parents, teachers and informal educators – as well as kids themselves.

Activity Categories
For Parents For PD Providers For Teachers Website Multi hour Up to an Hour 11-14 years old 5-8 years old 8-11 years old Adult Activity Stations Demonstration Lesson Basic Classroom Supplies Special Equipment Sources of Energy

Activity: Zip Lines

Children work together to transform everyday materials into creations that can carry weight safely across a zip line.

This activity and more can be found online at Creativity Catapult, from the Bay Area Discovery Museum in Sausalito, CA.,  is a research-backed, expert-curated collection of activities that promote creativity skills in children ages 2-14. Creativity Catapult is an online collection of activities to promote children’s creativity development. Curated by experts with contributions from esteemed education institutions from around the globe, Creativity Catapult is intended for practitioners charged with raising a generation of future innovators – parents, teachers and informal educators – as well as kids themselves.

Activity Categories
For Parents For PD Providers For Teachers Website 5-10 minutes Multi hour 11-14 years old 5-8 years old 8-11 years old Activity Stations Demonstration Lesson Basic Classroom Supplies Sources of Energy Transfer of Energy

Cotton Catapult

Design and construct a catapult that launches cotton balls as far as possible! This maker activity helps children build creative thinking skills, such as divergent (brainstorming) and convergent (decision-making) skills.

This activity and more can be found online at Creativity Catapult, from the Bay Area Discovery Museum in Sausalito, CA.,  a research-backed, expert-curated collection of activities that promote creativity skills in children ages 2-14. Creativity Catapult is an online collection of activities to promote children’s creativity development. Curated by experts with contributions from esteemed education institutions from around the globe, Creativity Catapult is intended for practitioners charged with raising a generation of future innovators – parents, teachers and informal educators – as well as kids themselves.

Activity Categories
For Parents For PD Providers For Teachers Website 5-10 minutes Multi hour 11-14 years old 5-8 years old 8-11 years old Activity Stations Lesson Basic Classroom Supplies Energy Transformation Sources of Energy Transfer of Energy

Stretch Your Potential

From this activity from the How to Smile Collection, learners create a toy that demonstrates the First Law of Thermodynamics or the Law of Conservation of Energy. By stretching the rubber band on the toy differently, learners explore the effects of potential energy on kinetic energy. The activity webpage from the Children’s Museum of Houston includes a fun how-to video for learners and educators.

Activity Categories
For Parents Video Website Up to an Hour 11-14 years old 14-18 years old 8-11 years old Demonstration Basic Classroom Supplies Sources of Energy Transfer of Energy

Girls of Energy: DOE

Girls of Energy is designed to ignite curiosity and engage young minds across the globe, and we are thrilled to bring it to you. It showcases exceptional women who are conquering today’s energy challenges and creating tomorrow’s technology solutions. Comprised of lesson plans, activities, and an engaging website, Girls of Energy highlights the importance of energy and how it improves the lives of our friends, neighbors, and family members. Exploring the cutting-edge energy research and technology being developed at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Laboratories, Girls of Energy allows young women to see just how amazing a STEM career can be.

Activity Categories
For Parents For PD Providers For Teachers 5-10 minutes Multi hour Up to an Hour 11-14 years old 14-18 years old Demonstration Lesson Video Basic Classroom Supplies Special Equipment Technology Sources of Energy

Project Learning Tree

Project Learning Tree (PLT) is an award-winning environmental education program designed for teachers and other educators, parents, and community leaders working with youth from preschool through grade 12.  “You’ll branch out and leaf a better educator!”

PLT also provides professional development training for educators.

 

Activity Categories
For PD Providers For Teachers Multi hour 11-14 years old 14-18 years old 5-8 years old 8-11 years old Lesson Basic Classroom Supplies Energy Transformation Sources of Energy Transfer of Energy

Beetles Project: Science and Teaching for Field Instructors

BEETLES  stands for “Better Environmental Education, Teaching, Learning & Expertise Sharing” and is based at the Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California at Berkeley.  The site focuses on experiential learning approaches, primarily for field instructors and outdoor education, but also for classroom educators as well. You’ll find lessons and associated video segments that demonstrate the lessons that center. The lessons are centered around beetles as a science topic for discovery.  Also note the great questioning strategies the facilitators use to foster deeper discussion.

Activity Categories
For PD Providers Document Video Website Multi hour 11-14 years old 8-11 years old Lesson Video Basic Classroom Supplies Sources of Energy

PhET Simulations

The PhET online interactive simulations from the University of Colorado are free, research-based and research-validated, cover math and all the major sciences, and are translated into dozens of languages. The online teaching resources to support each simulation include a teacher’s guide from the PhET design team, plus classroom activities that clever teachers have already developed for a given simulation.  Here is a short list of suggested resources on energy:

  • The Energy Skate Park  (kinetic, potential energy)
  • Circuit Construction (electrical energy)
  • Energy Forms and Changes (energy states, forms, conservation of energy)
  • Generator (energy types, energy resources, magnetic fields)

And a long-time favorite, John Travoltage–where you can make John “Travoltage’s” leg rub to build up static so that he gets shocked when touching a doorknob!

Activity Categories
For PD Providers For Teachers Document Simulations Website 5-10 minutes Multi hour Up to an Hour 11-14 years old 14-18 years old 8-11 years old Adult Activity Stations Demonstration Lesson Technology Energy Transformation Transfer of Energy
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