What is energy, and how can we visualize its transfer from one object to another? In this lesson, we’ll visualize kinetic energy with marbles! Students should walk away with an understanding that energy is related to mass and velocity.
Marbles, Assorted sizes (4-5 per group)
Pool noodle, cut in half lengthwise (1 half per group)
Meter stick (1 per group)
Marble mania worksheet (1 per student)
Humans have approximately 3 billion base pairs! How can we read this much DNA? One strategy is to break it into pieces, then put them back together. In this activity students can learn how to put multiple sequencing reads back together.
Teach kids about the genetic code by spelling and decoding codon secret messages with Lego bricks.
Explore the life cycles of different living things: plants, chickens, and frogs.
Compare the similarities and differences of these life cycles.
Build a paper plate life cycle wheel to visualize different stages of life.
See the rest of this experiment »
Explore how scale models are built and used.
Learn about DNA and its function in the body.
Investigate how information is stored in DNA.
Build a candy model of the DNA structure.
Decode a secret message.
Practice writing and following directions.
Understand why clear instructions are important.
Explain to your teacher how to make the best PB & J!
Explore the engineering design process.
Learn about engineers and their jobs.
Practice teamwork and communication skills.
Build a index card tower in response to a design challenge.
Lesson adapted from the Engineering Adventures “Shake Things Up” curriculum from The Museum of Science, Boston.
Explore circuits and their components.
Use the engineering design process to solve a problem.
Build functional circuits with LittleBits.
Lesson and media based off the material available at the LittleBits website.
Recommended Lead-Up Lesson: Circular Circuits
Explore how scale models are built and used.
Learn about and apply magnetic properties.
Implement the engineering design process to problem solve.
Build a magnetically levitating “train”.
This is intended as an end-of-year activity. When kids are finished making frogs, we do a summary of all activities learned throughout the year–a bit of a question-answering contest.
