April 13, 2018
By Cathy Byrne
Virtually all fourth grade students explore electricity and magnetism. As part of this unit, students are asked to do two things:
1 – Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents (4-PS3-2)
2 – Apply scientific ideas to design, test, and refine a device that converts energy from one form to another (4-PS3-4).
This year, the teachers at my school put a new twist on our electricity and magnetism unit… and the results were amazing!
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electricity, Elementary level, experiments, magnetism, Middle School level, STEM | Tagged: DIY, Educational Innovations, electrical circuits, electricity, energy, experiments, fun experiments, hands-on activity, homeschool, light, magnetism, parent friendly, PBL, PhBL, PhenoBL, phenomenon based learning, science, science fair project, STEM, variables | 
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Posted by Donna Giachetti
September 29, 2017
by Ted Beyer
Fidget spinners are the latest fad to sweep, seemingly, the world. Love them or hate them, they are everywhere—on playgrounds, in backyards, living rooms, and even schools, although many schools have banned them as being distractions. But wait just a minute here! For once, let’s see if we can’t use a fad to teach something. You see, there is actually a fair bit of science lurking in those spinney things.
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Leave a Comment » | College level, Elementary level, experiments, High School level, magnetism, Middle School level, Physics | Tagged: discrepant event, DIY, Educational Innovations, experiments, fun experiments, hands-on activity, homeschool, Newton's First Law, Newton's Second Law, Newton's Third Law, parent friendly, PBL, PhBL, PhenoBL, phenomenon based learning, Physics, physics demonstration apparatus, science, science fair project, STEM, variables | Permalink
Posted by Donna Giachetti
September 15, 2017
by Tami G. O’Connor
As elementary school teachers, we aim to help our students become scientifically literate (among many other things). But let’s face it: too often we have limited time for science instruction during the school day. Still, we know that kids just love science! They’re always eager to learn more about the world around them, especially when they’re having fun while they’re learning.
But what can we do when our science teaching time is so limited in school? How do you get students involved in scientific discovery outside the classroom? Sure, you can give them homework, but many kids find simply reading about science unappealing. You want your students to LOVE learning more about science… not dread it.
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1 Comment | Elementary level, energy, experiments, life science, magnetism, Physics, STEM | Tagged: discrepant event, DIY, Educational Innovations, elementary science, experiments, fun experiments, hands-on activity, homeschool, parent friendly, PBL, PhBL, PhenoBL, phenomenon based learning, science, science fair project, STEM | Permalink
Posted by Donna Giachetti
April 14, 2017
by Nancy Foote
The latest addition to my classroom’s Curiosity Table is a Static Electricity Electroscope. The fact that it looks a bit odd made it even more intriguing to my students. Once they began to play with the electroscope, they couldn’t stop. Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | College level, electricity, Elementary level, experiments, High School level, magnetism, Middle School level, static electricity | Tagged: DIY, Educational Innovations, electricity, experiments, fun experiments, hands-on activity, homeschool, parent friendly, PBL, PhBL, PhenoBL, phenomenon based learning, science, static electricity, STEM, variables | Permalink
Posted by Donna Giachetti
January 13, 2017
by Gabrielle Hodgins and Dr. Kenneth Lyle, Duke University, Durham NC
The wonders of magnetic ink!
INTRODUCTION
Demonstrating the magnetic ink used in printing US currency has proven to engage audiences of all ages because of its relevance to everyday life. Nearly everyone has used machines that distribute and/or accept currency but few understand how the machines distinguish between the various denominations. The key is in the face of each denomination. Magnetic ink is used in the printing of the currency. Each denomination has a different face and, therefore, a different magnetic signature. Similar to a bar code reader, the machines recognize the denomination by its magnetic signature. A strong magnet, such as a neodymium magnet, can be used to demonstrate the magnetic character of US currency.
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Leave a Comment » | Chemistry, Elementary level, High School level, magnetism, Middle School level | Tagged: DIY, Educational Innovations, fun experiments, hands-on activity, homeschool, neodymium magnet, PBL, phenomenon based learning, phenomenon-based science, Physics, science, science fair project | Permalink
Posted by Donna Giachetti
