This module is designed to guide students in better understanding what electricity is and how it works by investigating electrical circuits.  The teacher will facilitate students' explorations as they use scientific terms to generate a summary of their experiences.  Throughout this unit, students will be guided in using practical materials such as wires, batteries, switches and light bulbs to better understand how electricity behaves in open and closed circuits. This module was developed by Stephanie Hooks as part of a Virginiga Commonwealth Universtiy STEM initiative sponsored by the Virginia Department of Education.

Description: Many people love roller coasters, but a portion of the population might prefer a slower, calmer ride experience.  Busch Gardens, a popular theme park in Williamsburg wants to offer a variety of rides that appeal to all ages and abilities.  Can you help them design and create a roller coaster that will move at a much slower pace than the typical roller coaster?  You will present your prototype in the form of a marble run built on the provided surface.  Think about the marble runs that you may have played with or built when you were younger.  Can you redesign a marble run that will take the marble the longest amount of time possible to reach the end without stopping?  At the conclusion, each group will test and time their marble runs.

Video Description:  Simple machines are all around us and help make our work easier. When simple machines are combined, a compound machine is created. Learn about NASA's compound machine, the lunar crane, and the simple machines it contains to make work easier in Our World.  Video length:  4:17.NASA eClipsTM is a suite of online student-centered, standards-based resources that support instruction by increasing STEM literacy in formal and nonformal settings.  These free digital and downloadable resources inform and engage students through NASA-inspired, real-world connections.NASA eClips Our World videos (grades 3-5) help students understand the differences between science (the natural world) and engineering (the designed world).  These video segments supplement elementary learning objectives not only in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, but also in reading, writing, visual and performing arts.

This resource consists of two experiments focusing on the transfer on energy. Thermal, kinetic, and potential energy are discussed during these slides. This product is intended to be used in front of the class through a guided lesson format. However, the two experiments used in these slides use minimal materials and could be conducted by the students by the class before, or after, using this series of Google Slides.