Creativity in Mind

Are you planning to do some lessons on microscopic organisms? Will you be having the students examine pond water? I created this very thorough webqest for my oceanography class before we looked at pond water in order to understand more about plankton. It would be great for any Biology class as well. They will come away with a very extensive knowledge about what they might see under the microscope.

Elevate your student's understanding of projectiles launched at an angle (a tricky topic!) with this fun, highly relatable lab. I use an over-the-door basketball hoop and the groups takes turn using it. I also have smaller basketball nets that can be thumbtacked to a bulletin board, the the over-the-door version is more desirable. Using standard measuring equipment and their knowledge of kinematics, the should be able to solve the problem- what was the original velocity of your shot?

Review the pH scale as your students learn about a real-world application: acid rain. Simply add some simple kitchen ingredients to samples of water to make some acidic and one basic. Keep one neutral. Collect some local rainwater. Using pH test strips, students will compare and contrast the acidity of five water samples. Background knowledge of acid rain (causes, effects) is helpful, but not required.

This is a staple for my introductory Physics course. With just a few materials, the concepts of speed, velocity, graphing, and slope calculations are reinforced.

I use this at the beginning of the year for my middle school classes, but it could be used at several levels. A fun way for students to get to know each other better!

Use as a stand alone microscope lab, or use for a preview or review activity. Or, leave with a substitute if you need to press pause on your regular program while you are out.