Introducing engineering concepts into the high school physics classroom can help students grasp the relevance of scientific knowledge to the real world. I love to do this through project-based assignments in which students have to apply their knowledge through design-based activities. And what better way to keep students engaged and on their toes than toContinue reading “Lasagne or Spaghetti? The Pasta Cantilever Challenge”
Tag Archives: DIY science
How Powerful Are You?
Active learning can literally mean getting your students up and out of their seats and engaged in physical activity. When teaching energy, work and power, there’s no better way to drive home the concepts than to get the students outside the classroom to practice what they’ve learned. That’s why I assign them an activity whereContinue reading “How Powerful Are You?”
End of Year Fun with Famous Scientists
Do you need an engaging end of year activity that will motivate your students to squeeze in a little more learning before the summer break? The Famous Scientist Cereal Box Project combines research, design, organisation, and presentation skills and is ideally suited for 7th to 9th grade students. My students love this assignment which givesContinue reading “End of Year Fun with Famous Scientists”
Storytelling for Secondary Science
Just a few years ago my school principal informed me that I was required to complete more teacher training. Then came the good news. I was being sent to Greece to attend The Mars Mission Summer School sponsored by the European Union’s Erasmus+ Program and the Space Awareness Project. What better place to think aboutContinue reading “Storytelling for Secondary Science”
Five Fun and Easy Physics Challenges
One of my favourite things about being a physics teacher is doing demonstrations and experiments with my students. Why start a lesson with a lecture when you can arouse your students’ curiosity by bringing scientific principles to life right before their eyes? I like to start with a provocative question like: How can you pickContinue reading “Five Fun and Easy Physics Challenges”
Sink or Swim
Do you need a great activity for teaching your kids or students about the scientific process? The Sink or Swim experiment is a fun way to help students develop skills in measurement, calculation and estimation. They will also learn about the concept of density while determining whether an object will sink or float. Density isContinue reading “Sink or Swim”
The Power of Electromagnets
Need to sort through all that junk in your basement? Why not build an electromagnet to do the job for you. An electromagnet is a special type of magnet that is created when a current flows through a coil of wire. These magnets separate materials that contain iron from those that don’t. You can buildContinue reading “The Power of Electromagnets”
Making YOU the Scientist
Students should develop a love of science by doing science. That’s why Step by Step Science is excited to launch a new series of videos with live experiments and demonstrations that can be done from home, classrooms, or just about anywhere. These are fun activities that are easy to set up and will cover basicContinue reading “Making YOU the Scientist”
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