Idea Sheets

Enjoy the hands-on experience of building and using the Bottle Racer, a modern adaptation of an old favorite. Explore the application of simple machines, energy conversion and investigate how changes in design affect performance.
Subjects: Physical Science

Loop the ring around the bottle and stand it up. How hard could this be? Give it a try! It might surprise you!
Subjects: Physical Science

In this easy art project, students can design and make their own flower bouquets.
Subjects: Art

Sometimes the simplest idea can provide children with hours of fun. Teachers of young children can use boxes like big blocks for a variety of activities.
Subjects: Physical Science

How will an earthquake, simulated by shaking, affect a "building" made of linked squares? How can the square "stories" be cross-braced to prevent the "walls" from collapsing? What dangers are there in building above a garage? Learn the answers to these questions and more by working with the Brace Yourself model.
Subjects: Physical Science, Earth/Space Science

Whenever a can of mixed nuts is opened, the brazil nuts tend to be on the top. This phenomenon seems counterintuitive, because the brazil nuts are more massive than the peanuts, cashews and other nuts in the can. How can this be?
Subjects: Physical Science

Provide students with opportunities to create a basic circuit, build a portable version, and explore parallel and series circuits!
Subjects: Physical Science

In this logic game, a player uses clues to help them break a hidden code in as few guesses as possible.
Subjects: Math

Explore polarized light using polarizing filter material. The displays of many common electronic devices are covered with a polarizing filter to cut glare.
Subjects: Physical Science, Life Science

Students explore how organic materials break down and decompose in this lab experiment that investigates materials, environmental factors, and variables.
Subjects: Life Science

Each day in your life you breathe in and out approximately 20,000 times, usually without thinking about it. Here is a chance to discover how breathing works.
Subjects: Life Science

Use Algebra to figure out the price to charge for a one pound bag of mixed coffee beans.
Subjects: Math

How strong can a bridge be made using a limited set of materials?
Subjects: Physical Science

Thermally sensitive paper can be used to create some stunning artistic effects. This activity is a fantastic exploration of a thermally sensitive chemical reaction.
Subjects: Physical Science

Use a water filled cylinder and a bubble to create convex and concave surfaces. Make light rays move closer together (converge)or move apart (diverge).
Subjects: Physical Science