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Sun Powered Cars

Solar Powered Cars are a fun engineering design challenge that provide plenty of room for academic conversations. The reality of solar panels is they aren’t perfect by any means. They require a level of precision in their positioning to the sun that producing a successful device is a challenge! Therein lies the opportunity for exploration, inquiry and iteration as both students and teachers alike can grow academically with the creation of a solar-powered car.

This resource from Discovery Place Science shows you two prototypes designed to serve as an exploration of what the introduction of a 3D printer and some simple design software can produce as well as an how this project can be completed using more common classroom materials such as popsicle sticks and hot glue

Activity Categories
For Teachers Document Up to an Hour 11-14 years old 14-18 years old Activity Stations Demonstration Basic Classroom Supplies Special Equipment Energy Transformation Sources of Energy Transfer of Energy

Designing and Testing Turbines

Creating turbines can be a fun way to explore the relationship of naturally occurring energy sources like wind. Using everyday materials students can create a variety of turbines that can be tested with LED’s and voltmeters to determine their effectiveness and start meaningful conversations around design improvements, energy conservation and a sustainable energy plan for the United States.

This resource from Discovery Place Science shows you how to build and test turbines with materials for the classroom, including 3-D plans for gear systems for your turbines.

Activity Categories
For Teachers Document Multi hour 11-14 years old 14-18 years old Activity Stations Demonstration Basic Classroom Supplies Special Equipment Energy Transformation Sources of Energy Transfer of Energy

Energy Tree Diagram: How It Works

Energy Tree Diagram: What do wind-up toys, springs, and pop-ups have in common?  Energy! In this video, we’ll take a closer look at these toys to examine what types of energy transfers happen that cause these everyday object to spin, move, and pop.  This is a great way to learn about types of energy in a fun and engaging approach by mapping out the kinds of energy present through a process of drawing out the types of energy in an energy tree diagram.   

  • Presented by: Rob Payo, Denver Museum of Nature & Science and Ann Hernandez,  Association of Science Technology Centers

Supply list:

  • Wind up toys
  • Pop ups
  • Other simple toys, machines
  • Poster paper
  • Markers
Activity Categories
For PD Providers Video Up to an Hour 11-14 years old 14-18 years old Lesson Video Basic Classroom Supplies Sources of Energy Transfer of Energy

Argumentation Toolkit: How It Works

Argumentation Toolkit:    How do you get kids to think and discuss ideas critically on their own?  The Argumentation Toolkit, developed by the Lawrence Hall of Science provides easy yet powerful ways to help students verbalize their thinking.  This video steps you through a simple exercise where students are faced with pieces of evidence and whether they support a claim. These evidence statements are written on cards that students can move around, discuss and argue with one another in a more active, concrete way of supporting their ideas. When it comes to understanding energy and energy related issues, this is a great way to foster productive and meaningful discussion in the classroom.   Funding support for Argumentation Toolkit made possible by a grant from the National Science Foundation. 

  • Presented by Tim Blesse, Denver Museum of Nature & Science

Supplies

  • Index cards or cardstock (these can be laminated)
Activity Categories
For PD Providers For Teachers Document Video Up to an Hour 11-14 years old 14-18 years old Activity Stations Basic Classroom Supplies Sources of Energy

Novel Engineering: How It Works

Novel Engineering:  Developed by Tufts University, Novel Engineering is an excellent way to integrate literacy and STEM in your teaching.  In this video, we’ll take you through the steps of this approach using a book on energy as an example. By looking at the characters in a story, students will identify problems these characters are faced with and then brainstorm possible solutions to help them.  Once they’ve chosen one idea to develop, the students can then design a solution using simple materials in the classroom and share and refine their ideas with their classmates—just like an engineer solving with problems with energy.

  • Presented by Rob Payo, Denver Museum of Nature & Science and Ann Hernandez,  Association of Science Technology Centers.

Supply list:

  • Book
  • Scratch/sketch paper
  • Scrap materials (foam, foil, paper, cardboard, fabric, etc)
  • Art supplies (glue, yarn, scissors, tape, markers)
Activity Categories
For Teachers Video Multi hour 11-14 years old 5-8 years old 8-11 years old Activity Stations Basic Classroom Supplies Sources of Energy Transfer of Energy

Argumentation Toolkit

The Argumentation Toolkit is a collection of resources designed to help teachers understand and teach scientific argumentation.  The resources featured can be adapted to any science content, including topics in energy.   The Argumentation Toolkit was developed as part of a research and development project in which we are designing videos and other multimedia tools to support middle school teachers in integrating argumentation into their classroom across reading, writing and talking. This project, Constructing and Critiquing Arguments in Middle School Science Classrooms, is a collaboration between the Lawrence Hall of Science and Boston College, and is supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation (DRL-1119584). 

Activity Categories
For PD Providers For Teachers Video Website Up to an Hour 11-14 years old 14-18 years old Lesson Basic Classroom Supplies Sources of Energy

Fizzics Education: Electricity Experiments

This is a collection of experiments and demonstrations from Fizzics Education related to electricity using things you can find at home.

Fizzics Education provides outreach education in Australia. They’re online collection of activities, demonstrations and videos help students understand science at home or other informal environments.

Activity Categories
For Parents For PD Providers For Teachers Video Website 5-10 minutes Up to an Hour 11-14 years old 14-18 years old 5-8 years old 8-11 years old Activity Stations Demonstration Lesson Video Basic Classroom Supplies Sources of Energy

PlayDecide Game: Energy and Sustainability

PlayDecide is a discussion game to talk in a simple and effective way about controversial issues. Setting up a session of PlayDecide is very easy. It’s a conversation game that requires a small group of people (4 to 8, although it works best with 5-6 people) around a table.

This PlayDecide game focuses on energy and sustainability.  Through discussion of issues and different perspectives, players must determine a way to reduce emissions via multiple strategies such as technology, changing behaviors, legislative laws and regulations, etc.

Activity Categories
For Parents For PD Providers For Teachers Document Multi hour 14-18 years old Adult Lesson Unit Basic Classroom Supplies Sources of Energy

Activity: Electric Scribbles

Children explore the intersection of science and art by inventing a machine that can draw as it moves. This activity helps children develop divergent thinking skills.

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 Up to an Hour 11-14 years old 14-18 years old 5-8 years old 8-11 years old Adult Activity Stations Demonstration Lesson Basic Classroom Supplies Special Equipment Energy Transformation Sources of Energy Transfer of Energy

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
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