by Ted Beyer
Brushbots, bristlebots, scooterbots, and any other cleverly named bots have been around for years. You know—the toothbrush head (or something similar) paired with a tiny vibrating motor and a battery. For years, classroom teachers and homeschool parents have been using them to introduce even young students to the principles of engineering and robotics.
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College level, electricity, Elementary level, energy, experiments, High School level, Middle School level, Physics | Tagged: bristlebot, brushbot, Educational Innovations, electricity, engineering, experiments, fun experiments, hands-on activity, hands-on science, homeschool, homeschool activity, parent friendly, PBL, phenomenon based learning, phenomenon-based science, science, science fair project, STEM, variables, vibration | 
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Posted by Donna Giachetti
The awesome thing about teaching a lesson on electricity is that students of all ages can get a “charge” from figuring out how to make a circuit work. And that’s just the beginning!
Teaching electricity opens the door to many related topics—alternative energy sources, lightning, static electricity and magnetism, to name a few.
We’ve put together a Super! Wow! Neat!® assortment of teacher-tested electricity discussion starters, research ideas, worksheets and more. Scroll down for ideas. Let us know how they work in your classroom!
Leave a Comment » | electricity, Elementary level, energy, experiments, High School level, Middle School level | Tagged: Educational Innovations, electricity, energy, experiments, fun experiments, hands-on activity, homeschool, parent friendly, PBL, phenomenon based learning, phenomenon-based science, science | Permalink
Posted by Donna Giachetti
Sometimes showing a brief video to your students—
or assigning it for home viewing—can go a long way
in helping to explain concepts that might take too
long in class. We’ve selected a few video clips,
ranging from old favorites to new hi-tech glimpses
at the future of electricity.
If you come across a video you’d like us to add to this list,
leave the URL in a comment below.
Leave a Comment » | College level, electricity, Elementary level, energy, High School level, Middle School level | Tagged: Bill Nye, electricity, energy, homeschool, parent friendly, PBL, phenomenon based learning, phenomenon-based science, science, static electricity, video | Permalink
Posted by Donna Giachetti
People have been making electrical jokes since… well, probably since before Benjamin Franklin flew that kite with the metal key in 1752.
Why not insert a bit of electricity humor into your next quiz or homework page? Extra points for students who guess the right punchlines to our riddles!
If you have a favorite cartoon or joke, insert it below as a comment, or email us at socialmedia@teachersource.com.
Leave a Comment » | electricity, energy | Tagged: Educational Innovations, electricity, energy, homeschool, parent friendly | Permalink
Posted by Donna Giachetti
Electrical phenomena have been studied since antiquity, but we’re still finding out new facts. Electricity is in the air—and in the news! This selection of noteworthy articles is bound to “spark” some ideas for classroom discussion. Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | College level, electricity, Elementary level, energy, High School level, Middle School level | Tagged: Educational Innovations, electricity, energy, homeschool, parent friendly, PBL, phenomenon based learning, phenomenon-based science, science | Permalink
Posted by Donna Giachetti
