Idea Sheets

Students observe dramatic changes in the states of matter in this activity.
Subjects: Physical Science

Create a pooter, or "bug vac" to gently collect and study small creepy crawlies.
Subjects: Life Science

Wooden cubes can be used for a variety of building activities that develop spatial skills and mathematical reasoning. In this activity, students make a 3-dimensional shape using a given number of cubes.
Subjects: Math

Building with foam pieces, blocks, and boxes will help young learners explore elements of design, construction, and the scientific process in an open-ended way!
Subjects: Physical Science

Explore how scale affects volume in this hands-on, pyramid building activity.
Subjects: Physical Science, Math

This activity for larger groups provides practice in team creation and rapid building.
Subjects: Physical Science, Language Arts, Art

Simple marble games can be a great introduction to the study of motion ... or just a great way to spend an afternoon!
Subjects: Physical Science

Balls are popular playthings for people of all ages. They help develop hand-eye coordination and gross motor skills, and they appeal to tactile learners. In this activity for students of all ages, foam balls are made that can be safely used in the classroom for a variety of learning activities. Bumpy Balls are easy to create, fun to make, and even more fun to play with!
Subjects: Physical Science

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

Give this little noisemaker a whirl to learn about the effects of air passing over a taut rubber band. As it vibrates, the rubber band can generate a surprising range of deep rumbling tones. How can the pitch be changed? Experiment to find the answer!
Subjects: Physical Science

Red cabbage juice is amazing! Acids and bases make it change color!
Subjects: Physical Science, Life Science

Cryptography was important more than 4,000 years ago as a way to protect the interests of kings, military leaders, and other dignitaries. It is important today because of the vast amounts of personal, financial, and medical data stored in computer systems worldwide. Students will appreciate cryptography in terms of math and history by encoding and decoding messages using a technique similar to that used by the Roman general Julius Caesar!
Subjects: Math, Social Studies

Illusions are wonderful student motivators! When people realize that sometimes they cannot believe their eyes, they often want to know why. It took scientists months of research and many experiments to figure out why this simple pattern of black and white tiles outside a cafe in Bristol looked like a bunch of wedges.
Subjects: Physical Science, Life Science

When John Napier, a famous mathematician, invented his "Bones" or "Rods" in the early 17th century, modern calculating was born. With this simplified recreation, students can multiply large numbers quickly, with little effort and no electricity!
Subjects: Math, Social Studies

Use transparent layers to diagram and represent different map details of California.
Subjects: Earth/Space Science, Social Studies