Wind is reemerging as a clean and reliable source of energy--primarily for the production of electricity. This article discusses how to create a pinwheel to explore wind power. It presents a 5E learning-cycle lesson in which students construct a simple pinwheel-type windmill to test the power generated by different designs. Students compare three-…

The seasons are often modeled for students using two spherical objects, one representing the Sun and one representing the Earth. Solely using this model, however, neglects a critical aspect of learning--how students actually see the world. This lesson challenges students to explore seasonal variations as they create and analyze sunrise/sunset…

As advocated by the new K-12 framework for science and as demonstrated in research, teachers are making use of media, now more than ever, to capture students' attention and draw connections between school science and students' everyday lives (Klosterman, Sadler, and Brown 2012; NRC 2012). However, it is essential for students to understand the…