Sound and Waves Discussion Starters


Sound and Waves Discussion Starters - Educational Innovations NewsletterIf a tree falls in a forest and there’s no one to hear it, will it still make a sound?  This is an old question, but what’s the answer?  Sound can be a difficult concept to portray because the waves cannot easily be seen or touched.  What is sound, and why do we care about it?  There is plenty of vocabulary associated with sound waves, including frequency, amplitude, longitudinal waves, transverse waves… the list goes on.  So how do you introduce and teach this topic?  We scoured the Internet for great ideas.  Hope you enjoy them!

If you have other ideas or websites you’d like to share, please write to us in the Comments section below. Read the rest of this entry »


You Said It! Sound and Waves Product Reviews


Sound and Waves Product Reviews - Educational Innovations NewsletterWe know that teachers are always looking for new ways to demonstrate sound and waves in their classroom.  How do you teach something you can’t see or touch?  We have some great ideas.

Read on to hear what our customers are saying about some of their favorite EI sound and waves teaching tools.  If you have a favorite Educational Innovations product, we invite you to send us a comment below.  We’d love to share your review with your fellow teachers and science lovers.

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Potential and Kinetic Energy Explained


by Arthur Murray

Teaching about potential and kinetic energy is always exciting, whether your students are in kindergarten or college.  There is so much to explore, and the world is full of examples of these types of energy in action.  Any time that you’re chewing gum, typing on your computer, or launching a rubber band into the air…  you are demonstrating potential and kinetic energy in all its glory.

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Keep Your Shirt On Review Game


Tami O'Connor, Educational InnovationsBy Tami G. O’Connor

By far, my students’ favorite way to review for tests and quizzes was a game we called “Keep Your Shirt On.” I found that I was able to use this game for virtually any subject and any grade level.  No matter what subject, my students’ scores increased dramatically!  As long as your students can read, they can use this tool.

Keep Your Shirt On was a great review game before math tests (multiplication, division, addition, subtraction or properties), Social Studies (state capitals, explorers, landforms…) and especially Science!

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Using Solar Cells to Teach Series and Parallel Circuits


By Marty Mathiesen

During the electricity unit in my high school physics class, I like to do an activity in which students determine the effect of having batteries placed in a series circuit and also in a parallel circuit.  We explore questions such as What are the similarities?  The differences?  What are the advantages of each method?  Do you see any patterns?

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