Follow along in this video segment from ZOOM as 13-year-old Nick explains how he came up with a design, tested materials, and constructed his own cardboard chair.

ZOOM guest Amy wants to be a meteorologist and volunteers at a weather observatory. In this adapted video segment, she shows us instruments used to predict the weather and describes how air pressure affects weather patterns.

Visit with Andres during fiesta time at Paracho Michoacan, Mexico's "guitar town". As Andres shows in this video segment from ZOOM, guitar music goes beyond simple sound vibrations.

In this problem students practice addition and subtraction (and possibly multiplication) while developing systematic work strategies. Given two types of ladybirds, each with either 4 or 7 spots, learners explore ways of combining them to achieve different total numbers of spots. The Teachers' Notes page offers rationale, suggestions for implementation, discussion questions, ideas for extension and support, and links to related games.

In this video from the Encyclopedia of Physics Demonstrations, observe how a laser beam is trapped in a water jet because the light reflects against the surface of the water.

Create a laser by pumping the chamber with a photon beam. Manage the energy states of the laser's atoms to control its output.

Create a laser by pumping the chamber with a photon beam. Manage the energy states of the laser's atoms to control its output.

In this video segment adapted from NOVA, scientist Mike Garcia draws lava samples at the foot of the active Kilauea volcano to see if it is related to its neighboring volcano, Mauna Loa.

Concepts underlying the first of the Essential Principles of the Climate Sciences are aligned with topics typically taught in the elementary grades. This article identifies lessons that will help elementary students develop an understanding of how Sun's light warms Earth and how variations in daylight hours are associated with seasonal change. This article appears in the free, online magazine Beyond Weather and the Water Cycle.

This collection of division word problems prompts learners to use a variety of methods of division. Allowing learners to choose their own method to solve the word problems enables them to see the strengths and weaknesses of various methods and to see why certain methods might be better for specific problems. Included with these problems is the solution, teacher resource page, tips on getting started, and a printable student page.

This activity allows students to investigate line symmetry and reflections. Using a mirror, students locate the lines of symmetry. in a square and then proceed to find other shapes by reflecting parts of the square. Ideas for implementation, extension and support are included along with a printable worksheet of squares (.doc)

In this video segment adapted from NOVA, a team of archaeologists and engineers explores different uses of the lever by recreating the engineering feats of the ancient Easter Island peoples.

How can you lift a heavy metal table using air? In this video segment adapted from ZOOM, cast members succeed in lifting a table using their own breath and a few plastic bags.

This problem requires children to make sense of information and to work in a systematic way. The interactive is a machine with four colored lights, each corresponding to a rule regarding number properties. Students are to discover numbers that will satisfy all four rules and switch on all the lights. The Teachers' Notes page offers rationale, suggestions for implementation, discussion questions, ideas for extension and support.

This video segment adapted from Shedding Light on Science describes how astronomical distances can be measured in units of light-years, and how the finite speed of light allows astronomers to study how the universe looked long ago.

This video segment adapted from Shedding Light on Science demonstrates the law of reflection by showing how light energy is reflected off both smooth and rough surfaces at predictable angles.

This video segment of Swift: Eyes through Time provides concrete examples to explain the concept that distance in space equals distance in time.

This problem allows students to explore introductory multiplication and division concepts in the context of sharing cookies ("biscuits" in the UK). Cookies are displayed in two different arrays, and students are challenged to divide them equally among two, three, five, and six people and to deal with remainders. The Teachers' Notes page offers rationale, suggestions for implementation, discussion questions, ideas for extension and support, and a printable sheet (pdf).

In this problem students apply different strategies to solve a problem involving multiples and remainders. The problem provides clues about dividing a specific number of lollipops equally and asks solvers to determine possible totals. The problem presents three partial approaches and asks solvers to complete them. This resource includes hints for getting started, previously submitted solutions, and a teacher page with implementation suggestions, discussion questions, and differentiation strategies.

This problem provides an opportunity for students to form and test conjectures, and make generalizations, while exploring the effect of parity on simple whole number sums. Solvers are asked to arrange given sets of numbers in a V formation so that the sums of the numbers in each "arm" are equal. The Teachers' Notes page offers suggestions for implementation, discussion questions, ideas for extension and support, a printable record sheet (pdf) and links to two YouTube videos demonstrating use of the problem in a professional development setting (videos cataloged separately).