This video from NASA describes the GLAST satellite, which is equipped with a gamma-ray telescope, and shares some background about the kinds of extreme universal phenomena indicated by the presence of gamma rays.
This video segment from Swift: Eyes through Time introduces and explains theories of the origin of gamma-ray bursts.
Learn how scientists regulate a nuclear reactor in this animation-enhanced essay from the FRONTLINE Web site.
How do simple machines and gears help devices work? In this challenge, learners will explore how gears are used in machines and mechanisms. Gears are closely related to simple machines and provide a mechanical advantage in machines. Devices worldwide contain gears and are components critical in mechanical engineering design.
This is a 3-hour lesson that includes a self-paced interactive module and classroom activities. The teacher guide includes a challenge sequence (timeline), relevance to standards, materials list, assessment, evaluation rubric, and learning extensions.
Lesson objectives: (1) Explore the connection between gears and simple machines. (2) Differentiate how different gears do work, transfer power, speed and direction. (3) Design, build and demonstrate a simple model of a gear train.
A visual representation of how ghost imaging works
Featuring images of glacier formations, this interactive resource adapted from the National Park Service explains what glaciers are, where they are found, how they form, and how they move.
In this video adapted from the Encyclopedia of Physics Demonstrations, learn how a glass beaker vibrates at a specific frequency and how resonance can force it to shatter.
This video segment adapted from NOVA/FRONTLINE looks at the future of global warming as developing nations, including India and China, increase their need for energy.
Is the hydrogen car the answer to global warming? This video segment adapted from NOVA/FRONTLINE looks at the pros and cons of this developing technology.
This video segment adapted from NOVA/FRONTLINE examines the greenhouse effect, its role in keeping Earth habitable, and the industrial changes that have led to an increase in the planet's average temperature.
Students use hot glue gun sticks to learn about the forces of tension, compression and torsion.
Students explore the effects of regional geology on bridge foundation, including the variety of soil conditions found beneath foundations. They learn about shallow and deep foundations, as well as the concepts of bearing pressure and settlement.
This video segment adapted from NOVA features the youngest rock formations in the Grand Canyon, lava dams, and how they are subject to the eroding power of water.
This lesson introduces the MRI Safety Grand Challenge question. Students are asked to write journal responses to the question and brainstorm what information they will need to answer the question. The ideas are shared with the class and recorded. Students then watch a video interview with a real life researcher to gain a professional perspective on MRI safety and brainstorm any additional ideas. The associated activity provides students the opportunity to visualize magnetic fields.
Students are introduced to the Robotics Peripheral Vision Grand Challenge question. They are asked to write journal responses to the question and brainstorm what information they require to answer the question. Their ideas are shared with the class and recorded. Then, students share their ideas with each other and brainstorm any additional ideas. Next, students draw a basis for the average peripheral vision of humans and then compare that range to the range of two different focal lengths in a camera. Through the associated activity provides, students see the differences between human and computer vision.
Graphical Just-in-Time-Teaching questions for use before classes in which students explore position, velocity and acceleration graphs.
In this demonstration students are given a position, velocity or acceleration graph showing the motion of an object. They are asked to write a short description of the motion, and make predictions by completing the remaining two graphs.
In this lesson designed to enhance literacy skills, students learn how to read and interpret a distance–time graph.
Students are introduced to different ways of displaying visual spectra, including colored "barcode" spectra, like those produced by a diffraction grating, and line plots displaying intensity versus color, or wavelength. Students learn that a diffraction grating acts like a prism, bending light into its component colors.
This video segment, adapted from NOVA, traces the evolving history of theories about gravity and a force that may oppose it, along with our understanding of the impact of both of these forces on our expanding universe.