Our Plastics Poster is a great educational resource that will help you create relevant and engaging Design and Technology classrooms.

Magnetic Field Line Viewers: These are two low-cost methods to make individual magnetic field line viewers from household or classroom items, iron filings, and reused plastic packaging. We can use them to teach about magnetism while simultaneously reinforcing conservations and …

I'm joining up with one of my favorite bloggers, Aileen Miracle (Mrs. Miracle's Music Room) to blog about my favorite pins of the month of January. I have been on a pinning rampage as of late, so get excited! 1. I loved this pin about using monster manipulatives to guide students into composing rhythmic patterns. I have a monster recorder station already, and thought something like this could be added in nicely. The die cuts used are great, but I'm sure computer graphics and notation could be done all on the computer. In fact, maybe I'll make them today on my snow day! 2. What Does the Fox Say for Orff Ensemble: My kids love, love, love "What does the fox say?" There's an arrangement here that has some good application for the classroom. I'm not sure which kids will be the lucky ones to get to perform this, but I know whoever is chosen will love it! 3. I loved this PVC/Noodle four measure composition idea. What a great way to compose and perform quickly as a beginning of class warm up, or for use in stations. My dad has made me a ton of stuff out of PVC, so I'm sure he'll be thrilled when I show him this idea! 4. Though I'm not a big boom whacker fan, I have found them to be a great tool for working with my part time learning support class. Many of these students are not very verbal, and motor skills are difficult. Boom whackers allow them to make music very simply. I found this pin and have been doing this activity during our snowman music unit with the part time learning support kids. They've loved it! 5. Speaking of boom whackers, check out this great way to organize them. I always have trouble keeping them organized and neatly stored!

What could be more fun than a Nouns and Verbs game?! Enjoy an educational moment with you darling little one and learn some valuable lesso...

Chemical educator and Compound Interest blogger Andy Brunning explains what happens (or doesn’t) after you throw those bottles and bags in the recycle bin

If you're on Pinterest, chances are good you've seen this activity. But for the few who haven't, get ready for some seriously cheap science fun. We made a hovercraft! Supplies An old CD that you no longer need Glue gun and glue sticks thumbtack soda bottle screw top (you want one that's fairly deep) latex party balloon Assembly Poke several holes in the plastic bottle top with the thumbtack. Use a hot glue gun (Adults, please. No children. Those things are H-O-T) to apply a bead of glue to the edge of the bottle top and glue it to the center of the CD, over the hole. If necessary, apply a bead of glue around the cap to make sure it's totally secure. You're almost done. Now blow up the balloon. Twist the neck of the balloon to keep it inflated and pull the lip of the balloon over the edges of the bottle cap. Ask your child to make predictions. Before we released the hovercraft, my son thought it would glide through the air more like a hot air balloon. Let it Go Set on a flat surface like a countertop or wood floor. Release the balloon and watch it glide along without any effort just over the surface. Invite the child to form a hypothesis about why and how this works. How it WorksThe force of the air that exits the balloon as it deflates goes through the holes in the bottle cap, pushes against the surface (floor or counter), and creates a cushion of air over which the CD glides freely.

Minds in Bloom is pleased to present Bethany Lau with her post on teaching heredity. We think you'll enjoy it! Science in elementary school should be all about fun. In fact, science at all levels

Neodim is on Recyclart. Join Recyclart to view Neodim's profile

Is overpopulation our problem, or is it greed? Could addressing our greed solve the issue of a lack of resources? How would education play a role in that?

These activities for Algebra, Geometry, & middle school make great stations or critical thinking puzzles. I created these for easy differentiation, and really loved them. They turned out to be durabl

In this multi-day activity, students explore environments, ecosystems, energy flow and organism interactions by creating a scale model biodome through applying the engineering design process. The Procedure section provides activity instructions for Biodomes unit, lessons 2-6, as students work through Parts 1-6 to develop their model biodome. Subjects include energy flow and food chains, basic needs of plants and animals, and the importance of decomposers. Students consider why a solid understanding of one's environment and the interdependence of an ecosystem can inform the choices we make and the way we engineer our own communities. This activity can be conducted as either a very structured or open-ended design.

A summary of the different types of plastic: what to avoid, what's safe for reuse, and a picture of a really sexy catsuit.

You kids will LOVE this Word Families Reading Activity using plastic spoons and disposable cups. Read, sort by word family, and a bit of fine motor fun too!

My Preppies absolutely LOVE playing games. I use them in our Literacy and Maths rotations, and then move them to be a 'free choice' option for a bit of learning disguised as play! Here's a few of our favourites (that I'm sure you've seen online before!): 1. I call this one 'Power Tower'. The kidlets take turns to choose a cup from the pile. If they can read the sight word written on it, they are able to add it to the Power Tower. For low-ability groups I help and we figure the tricky words out together. The motivation of missing out on adding a cup to the tower is enough to make the other groups think long and hard about the tricky words, and we rarely have to pass on a word. 2. My 'Splat!' mats were the best thing I made this year for my classroom. I'd been using 'Splat!' as a way to practise sight word recognition, but I was forever losing my laminated flies and bugs - of which I had hundreds in order to cover all of the words in our sight word program. These mats make it so easy to play - grab the mats that cover the lists you want to revise, grab the fly swats and off you go! 3. I'd say that 'Gone Buggy' is the favourite of all the Maths games we play in my classroom. I use a pocket dice, some dollar store bugs and laminated jars. The kidlets love to add bugs to their jar when they roll a number, but are always disappointed when they roll the bug spray or a fly swat! First to 10 bugs wins. :) I originally saw this idea over at Kindergarten... Kindergarten. 4. Oh iPads... is there anything you can't do? I have 10 iPads in my room and I use them for independent skill practise, listening stations, as a reward and for those kidlets who respond well to the visual/auditory/kinaesthetic combo (uh... that may be all of them!). Do your kids love games as much as mine? :) Lauren

Spanish expedition maps trash in all five ocean collection zones for the first time and makes a discovery.

Making bioplastics is a fun, hands-on way to learn about bioplastic alternatives that are environmentally safer for our planet. Educational Innovations Blog

“I think music in itself is healing. It's an explosive expression of humanity. It's something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we're from, everyone loves music.” ~ Billy Joel I remember the time I gave birth to our son, the doctor played some relaxing, soothing tunes that helped ease the process of

This poster illustrates 26 ways to live a more sustainable lifestyle - from composting to buying organic to using a rain barrel! All illustrations were originally painted in gouache. This listing is for one 11x14" print *or* one 16x20" poster (sizes can be selected from the drop-down menu). Both sizes are digitally-printed in Portland, Maine. The 11x14" print is made on satin card stock and ships flat in a 100% recycled mailer. The 16x20" poster is made on satin paper and ships securely in a 100% recycled shipping tube. © Hannah Rosengren 2018. Purchase of print does not transfer any rights to reproduce or duplicate image. *Please note that for copyright reasons, I am unable to offer/sell digital files of any of my illustrations. Thank you for your understanding.

Plastikmüll vermeiden - warum weniger Plastik Meer ist

Some innovative castle designs by my middle school students, Samuel E. Shull Middle School, Perth Amboy NJ 2017 After watching the video of David Macaulay's Castle, my students designed their own fortresses. They tested the defensive walls by building catapults with popsicle sticks, rubber bands and spoons and firing mini marshmallows at their creations to see how many could land inside. Caerphilly Castle was built in the thirteenth century. It is the largest castle in Wales. To learn more about Caerphilly Castle, click here. More views of Caerphilly Castle David Macaulay re-creates the building of a medieval Castle in his book Castle. For more information about this very detailed and informative book, visit the author's website by clicking here. To watch a four part movie based on the book, click on the YouTube videos below. The castle in Macaulay's book is imaginary but it is based on several real Medieval castles. One of them is Caerphilly castle in Wales. Here is a floor plan of Caerphilly Castle: The film starts off with the author, David Macaulay, with his sketchbook, in Conway Castle in Wales. Here are some photographs of Conway Castle: Here is a floor plan of Conway Castle: Below is a floor plan and some photographs of Deal Castle, in Kent, England Below is a floor plan and some photographs of Windsor Castle in England WHY DO ALL THESE MEDIEVAL CASTLES LOOK SO DIFFERENT FROM EACH OTHER? HOW ARE THEY ALL ALIKE? Keep reading to find out. There was no standard shape and structure for a castle. The builders adapted their designs to suit the site, the budget and the military dangers of the day. THE ANATOMY OF A MEDIEVAL CASTLE Print out the picture above and look at all the basic parts that make up the anatomy of a Medieval castle. The castles all look very different from each other, yet they are all made up of the same basic components. See if you can identify the components all of these castles have in common. How would geographic location and the topography of the site influence a castle's design? Some cool Medieval castle activities: Click here to learn how to build your own paper and cardboard Medieval castle Click here to learn how to design a castle floor plan Click here for a step by step Power Point presentation by The Helpful Art Teacher on how to design and build your own paper castle. Printable Worksheets How to build a paper castle You will need heavy paper, like oak tag or card stock, white glue,masking tape,cardboard for the base scissors,markers, paint and whatever else you wish to use to decorate your creation. A small inexpensive low temperature hot glue gun is useful but not necessary. The starting point: A tower You will need to build at least four of these towers and connect them by walls just to start building your castle. These worksheets are just to get you started. Be inventive! Figure out how to include all the parts of the castle from the moat and draw bridge to the gate house and portcullis to the inner ward and keep. Work in progress: These 7th grade students are creating a curtain wall, the wall surrounding their castle complex. A soldier can walk along this wall and shoot arrows at his enemies from behind the embrasures. These students have created a portcullis and draw bridge using yarn, Popsicle sticks and a low temperature hot glue gun. Interior and exterior shots of one 7th grade student's work in progress. She used a sharp scissors to cut the points on the Popsicle sticks that form the portcullis. When each group was done constructing their castles I gave them 12 Popsicle sticks, a rubber band, a plastic spoon and permission to go over to the hot glue gun table. Their mission? To design a working catapult capable of lobbing mini marshmallows into another group's castle. Catapult designed by a 7th grade student Click here to learn how to build a miniature working catapult out of Popsicle sticks (so you can storm your paper castle). This website gives step by step directions but I prefer to have my students come up with their own designs. As you can see, from the video below, my 7th graders' original contraptions worked quite well. catapult design by a 7th grade student from Rachel Wintemberg on Vimeo. STEAM connection: How does building a catapult connect art to science, technology, engineering and math? When you create a catapult you are using a simple macine, the lever. If you pull the spoon back, the taut rubber band has potential energy. When you let go of the spoon the marshmallow is propelled by force and has kinetic energy. When you pull the rubber band back to a 45 degree angle, the marshmallow will travel the farthest distance. When you pull it back farther, the marshmallow will travel higher, but not go as far. We set up our catapults behind a taped barrier and asked the students to see how many mini marshmallows they could get into each castle. In order to make it over the wall, student found that they ideally needed to pull the spoon back farther than 45 degrees to attain more height and less distance. We discussed how the goal of the job affects the method used to launch the catapult; had the goal been to make the marshmallow go the farthest distance, then a 45 degree angle would have been preferable. STEAM Vocabulary/Definitions accuracy : The degree of closeness of a measured or calculated quantity to its actual (true) value. For example, in the associated activity, accuracy is the ability to hit the target with the Ping-Pong ball. catapult: A toy/machine that launches a projectile. geometry: An area of mathematics that studies shape, size, position and properties of space. precision: The degree to which further measurements or calculations show the same or similar results. For example, in the associated activity, precision is the ability to hit the same location multiple times with the Ping-Pong ball. projectile: An object that is launched or thrown, usually in the air, by a force. Source:https://www.teachengineering.org/lessons/view/cub_catapult_lesson01 Other STEAM connections in this lesson: The portcullis and draw bridge on the castles above operate using a pulley, another simple machine. Show students simple machines and have them divide into small groups to brainstorm how they might incorporate simple machines into their castle designs. For instance, a pulley might be used to draw water from a well as well as to control the draw bridge and portcullis. What is a simple machine? A simple machine is a mechanical device that changes the direction or magnitude of a force. In general, they can be defined as the simplest mechanisms that use mechanical advantage (also called leverage) to multiply force. The six simple machines are: Lever Wheel and axle Pulley Inclined plane Wedge Screw This student took the assignment a step farther. After researching medieval weapons he decided to design a crossbow to defend his fortress and siege neighboring castles. He was, of course, very careful to aim his weapon at rival social studies projects and never at people. Learn all the parts of a real medieval castle and what they were used for before you begin. Look at several real castles and their floor plans before you create your own. Remember, fortresses were designed and built for defense so make sure your castle will protect the inhabitants within. The Parts of a Medieval Castle Vocabulary terms you will need to know: You will remember the vocabulary better if, after reading the definition, you click on the word. This will bring you to a picture that illustrates the word. If you are building a castle for a 7th grade social studies class your teacher will probably expect you to use these vocabulary words to label the parts of your castle. You will also be expected to demonstrate the ways in which your fortress uses these elements to protect it's inhabitants. Arrow Loops - These were slots in the walls and structures that were used to shoot arrows through. They came in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Ashlar - Blocks of smooth square stone. They can be of any kind of stone. Bailey: This is a courtyard or open space surrounded by walls.The walls that make up the Bailey are also considered to be part of the Bailey. A castle could have several. Sometimes they were called the upper bailey and lower bailey or the west bailey and east bailey. Barbican: A stone structure that protected the gate of a castle. Think of it as a gatehouse. It usually had a small tower on each side of the gate where guards could stand watch. Barmkin: A yard surrounded by a defensive wall Bartizan: A small turret at the corner of a tower or wall. It is usually at the top but not always. Bastion: A tower or turret projecting from a wall or at the junction of two walls Battlements: These are the structures at the tops of the walls surrounding a castle. Picture what you have seen in the movies where archers are at the top of the wall and firing arrows between open slots down on the attackers. These shapes at the top (Where the archers position themselves for battle) are called battlements. They are also referred to as crenellations. Buttress: A masonry projection used as additional support for walls. Notre Dame Cathedral is a good examlple of the use of Buttresses. Corbel - A stone projection from a wall. It supports the weight of a battlement. Courtyard - The open area with the curtain walls of a castle. Curtain Wall - The stone walls around a castle. Drawbridge - This was a wooden bridge in front of the main gate of the castle. In the early centuries of castles it was moved horizontal to the ground and in the later centuries it was built so it could raise up in a hinged fashion. Dungeon - A deep dark cell typically underground and underneath a castle. This is a derivative of the word Dunjon. Donjon - this is an old word for a great tower or a keep. Embrasure - An opening in a parapet wall. GateHouse - A strongly built and fortified main entrance to a castle. It often has a guard house and or living quarters. Hall or GreatHall - This is the major building inside th walls of a castle. Hoarding: a covered wooden gallery above a tower the floor had slats or slots to allow defenders to drop object on besiegers. They could also drop liquids and projectiles. Keep - This definition changed slightly over the centuries of castle building. In the early years of stone castle building the Keep was a standalone structure that could be defended and often square in shape. Over the centuries these structures were improved upon and built around. Thus a castle was made that was a larger and more complex structure. The main tower that this was built around was still called the Keep and it was usually the tallest and strongest structure in the castle. It was also used as the last line of defense during siege or attack. Machicolations - The openings between the corbels of a parapet. They form areas that stick out along the top of the wall and defenders inside the castle can drop items like boiling water and rocks onto attackers. Merlons - The parts of parapet walls between embrasures Moat: A Body of water surrounding the outer wall of a castle. It was often around 5 to 15 feet deep and it was sometimes within the outer wall -between the outer wall and the inner wall. The primary purpose of the moat wasn't to stop attackers it was to stop tunnelers. Tunneling under a castle was an effective means of collapsing the walls or infiltrating it. A moat would cause any tunnel to collapse. Motte And Bailey: This isn't part of a castle it is the predecessor to the castle. A Motte and Bailey was an early form of castle where a large mound of dirt was built up then a wooden fortification was placed on top. This wooden fortification was in the shape of a timber fence that formed a circle like a crown at the top of the mound. The Mound is the motte, and the timber fence and the space it enclosed is the Bailey. Murder Hole: An opening in the roof of a gateway over an entrance. Used to drop projectiles or other things onto the besiegers. Oubliette: A deep pit reached by a trap door at the top. Prisoners were kept in it. Palisade: A defenisive fence Portcullis - This is a metal or wood grate that was dropped vertically just inside the main gate to the castle. Postern - A small gate at the back of a castle. Often considered to be a "Back Door". Rampart: Picture the battlements in the previous definition. The battlements are the top sections of the outer wall of the castle. Now to access these battlements the archers would stand on a walk way that was a wall in it's own right. This walkway is built right up against the outer wall and is called the Rampart. Ward - The area inside the walls of a castle. Often also called the Courtyard. Yett: Iron gates at the entrance of a castle To learn more about Medieval weapons, click here Click here to learn more about what life was life like in Medieval times If you were a peasant and wanted the protection a castle afforded, you had to pay your taxes If you were a monk you might work in a scriptorium painstakingly copying The Bible in Latin by hand and creating Illuminated manuscripts What is an illuminated manuscript? Before the invention of the printing press books had to be written by hand and very few people knew how to read.Click here to learn more about Medieval illuminated manuscripts If you were a knight, you would have to decorate your outfit with distinctive heraldry to avoid accidentally being killed by your own men Special thanks Richard Burzynski, Alexandre Lopez, Derrick C. Kyriacou and the Social Studies department at William C. McGinnis School. Please note: The pictures of actual medieval castles come from Wikimedia commons and are in the public domain. A few of the black and white images are handouts I have had for many years. If anyone knows who I should attribute them to, please email me. The pictures of step by step directions and photographs of student art work are my own. They may be downloaded and reproduced for educational purposes only (with appropriate credit given) in accordance with fair use law. Please do not republish them without contacting me for permission. Castles and creative writing: Middle school students love learning about castles. They figure heavily in many beloved children's stories, movies and video games. Why not use a castle construction project as a jumping off point for a unit on imaginative story telling? Castles are often a main feature in fantasy and mythological stories. Here is a fantasy art and storytelling assignment that I gave to my students during the 2016-2017 school year: Samuel E. Shull School, 2017 STUDENT ART GALLERY:

Do your students have trouble getting past "positive" and "negative" in describing tone? Do they understand the difference between mood and tone? These two lists, grouped into categories, will help your students find the perfect word to describe what the author or artist is feeling and what the reader or audience is feeling. Contents: Tone Words in Categories (Color) Tone Words in Categories (Grayscale) Mood Words in Categories (Color) Mood Words in Categories (Grayscale) Print and Digital Versions Suggestions for Use: ✅Anchor charts ✅Binder guides ✅Analysis cheat sheets ✅Reference sheets A BETTER DEAL: Tone vs. Mood Lesson Plans Rave Reviews: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐I bought this to use with writing, but it has been multi-purpose. Students used to have a difficult time with tone in literature because of their lack of vocabulary. This resource makes it easy for them to recognize and then use new words because of the assigned classifications. It has made a huge difference for students in both writing and reading. Thank you so much! -Jackie H. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐This was used as a resource for my AP students as they were creating thesis statements for their Prose and Poetry essays. Great resource to help boost vocabulary during the year before the exam! -Petrina S. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐I love this list! I've used it for 9 years in my classroom and it's always such a great starting point for tone! Thank you! -Mrs. R.

Alan’s Factory Outlet compiled an infographic detailing the seven types of plastics and their recyclability, toxicity, decomposition time, uses, and health risks so that we could make smart eco-friendly purchases.

1. Plastic dishes can't absorb enough heat to evaporate water, which is why the dishwasher dry cycle doesn't work on them.

How does sound travel? This sound experiment for kids helps show how we hear using a slinky and also a tuning fork experiment.

Here is a list of 12 biology degree jobs and their prospective salaries – Physician, surgeon, biochemist, pharmacist, psychiatrist, and more!

Engage your students in Australia's unique geographical features with these ready-to-print worksheets. Designed to compliment the Year 3 Australian HASS curriculum your students will have the opportunity to explore where Australia is in the world, identify the different States and Territories of Australia and identify various landmarks and their locations throughout Australia. Students will also be able to sort these landmarks between natural and manmade and then explore the significance of each one in order to prepare a persuasive argument to present to the government highlighting which landmark is more important to preserve.

Soda Bottle Ant Farm: Ever wanted an ant farm? Ant farms are entertaining, yet educational – it’s fascinating to observe the little ants as they go about their busy lives. But store-bought ant farms are often expensive, and usually limited in size. If y…

Nelson Mandela said a long time ago: "Education is the most powerful weapon to change the world." Together we can make a change but we need to start acting now. Use this cool free info graphics about marine conservation and plastic pollution to educate others about the importance of conservation.

Eco-Column: By: Kelsie Fronheiser, Gene Edwards, Jenny Kraus, Justin Lange Introduction: These instructions will help you create your very own eco-column in your home or classroom. An eco-column is a self-sustaining ecosystem on a small scale, made of plastic s…

What kid doesn't love parachutes? My boys have gotten so many of those parachuting army men as party favors, I've lost count. And forget trying to untangle the strings. (Ain't nobody got time for that!) The weather may not have been on our side, but with so many rainy days this summer, eventually you just throw caution to the wind and do outdoor activities anyway. And so it was the day we made DIY parachutes. Making these was simple. We had all the supplies we needed around the house. What You Need Disposable plastic (or paper) cup Plastic garbage sack String (we used some tightly twisted yarn) Paper punch Scissors Tape Measure or yardstick How to Make It First we punched holes in the top of the plastic cups, just under the rim. You'll need to punch four holes equal distance apart (approximately). Next we cut one plastic kitchen garbage sack into a 14-inch square. Since we made two parachutes, we measured and cut the bag with it flattened (i.e. two plies) so we had two squares with only a few cuts. Now we cut four 14-inch lengths of string for each parachute. Our oldest son gathered a corner of the plastic square and tied one length of string to it, leaving only a small tail. He repeated this with the other four corners. Then we tied each string to a different hole on the cup. (TIP: Try to keep the tails all the same length so you don't get a lopsided parachute.) Now all that was left to do was to go to a high place and drop those puppies. My sons perched on the landing of our deck and later our yard's play set. They LOVED watching them gracefully float to the ground. My oldest son tucked the parachute in the cup and dropped it to see what would happen. It sank to the ground with lightning speed. That's gravity for ya! How Does a Parachute Work The cup glides slowly down thanks to something known as air resistance (or drag). When air gets under it, the plastic parachute fans out for maximum coverage; this air resistance slows the fall of the object tremendously. This great activity came from Patricia A. Staino's wonderful book Magic Moments: Super Science with Your Kids. Check it out!

A table showing different plastics, their resin identification code (RIC) numbers and recycled reuses.

I am late sharing this; however, it's better late than never. This is something that was shared by a former colleague of mine, Ms. Julia Sloan. I thought it was a great way to visually represent e- configuration to help students with the concept. The following rules for assigning electron orbitals can be applied: 1. The Aufbau Principle Aufbau, which comes from the German word aufbauen, means to build up or arrange. This particular principle states that electrons occupy the lowest available energy orbital. The large poster, with the cups attached and arrow on the side, is a great visualization of this principle. 2. The Pauli Exclusion Principle This principle is based states that a maximum of two electrons can occupy an orbital; however the electrons must have opposite spins. You could use blank dominoes or other pieces to illustrate this as shown in the picture above. 3. Hund's Rule: This rule is based on the concept that electrons repel one another. Therefore, orbitals in a sub-level are first occupied by a single electron prior to the addition of an another electron with an opposite spin (see # 2 above). Of course the pom poms in the cup don't show this in the picture here, however, students would still need to place an "electron" in each cup first prior to pairing them together. You could stand from afar and observe students to determine if they understood how this rule is applied. The materials: White butcher paper and markers. Craft pom poms can be ordered online or at a local craft store. These will serve as electrons. Clear plastic cups - used to hold the electrons. Velcro- used to adhere the cups to the butcher paper. Of course you could always substitute and create your own version. Depending on your resources, you could create one for the class or create one per group and have students work together to complete a few problems. This is a great way to introduce the topic - whether it be a lecture and/or a student activity. I know this would have helped me as a student due to the visual and hands-on approach; as well as the fact that I would have had fun learning at the same time. What are your thoughts concerning this hands-on way to teach electron configuration? Feel free to share your answer or ideas in the Comments Section below.

People With Disabilities Share Sex Stories To End Stigma Once And For All

Kids will LOVE these engineering challenges with craft sticks, cups, and wood cubes. Engaging, open-ended, and creative!

An Interactive Way to Teach Kids Their Address as well as their state, country, continent, and planet! A fun introduction to geography for kids!

My 9-year-old son's first science unit this year is electricity. While it's usually a struggle to get him to tell me about his school day, the reports about what he's learning in science roll off his tongue easily. No nagging required. In summary, he's loving it. To take his school lessons further at home, I snagged an amazing book by Laurie Carlson. Thomas Edison for Kids: His Life and Ideas has everything from a timeline to detailed biographical info and my favorite - 21 activities. Making an electromagnet is one of them. Here's what we used and how we did it. 2-3 feet of ball wire (copper wire with a plastic insulated sheathing) Large nail Tape (optional) C or D battery small metal objects (paper clips, thumbtacks, etc.) Scissors (or a wire stripping tool) Wrap the wire around the nail making a coil, leaving four to six inches of wire extending from each end. Do your best to wrap it as tightly as you can. Trim about 1/2 inch of the plastic covering from each end of the wire. If you have a wire stripping tool, use it (we did) or score with a pair of scissors and using your fingernails pull the plastic coating from the wire. Now, if you've got tape handy, cut a long strip and use it to secure the battery to the table. Hold the nail wrapped wire and pinch the ends of the wire so they touch both metal ends of the battery. DON'T TOUCH THE EXPOSED WIRE; as electric current passes through it, these ends will become hot. Now take your small metal objects (we used safety pins) and see if the electricity in the battery has made the ends of the nail magnetic. What happens if the wire's connection with the battery is broken? Is the nail still a magnet? (Nope.) Electromagnets played a significant role in Thomas Edison's inventions. He used them to separate premium iron from low-grade unusable iron ore, that was collected from the New Jersey mines he owned. His discovery of the electromagnetic wave lead to the invention of the radio in the 1890s. Today, electromagnets are still at work in coin-operated vending machines! Want another great book to read? We liked National Geographic Kids Level 2 reader Thomas Edison by Barbara Kramer.

Chemical educator and Compound Interest blogger Andy Brunning shines a light on the parts of the periodic table that make life possible

Overprotective parenting can have hidden impacts on children’s development. Become informed and unwrap their future proactively.