This activity is a series of game-like lessons that assist the student in developing the logic skills needed to read mass spectrometer output and formulate the identity of an unknown molecule. As students endeavor to identify the unknown they must apply fundamental chemistry knowledge including formula mass, isotopes, periodic table, relative abundance, interpreting graphs, organic chemistry, ionization, bonding rules, and structural formulas. Based on an activity presented by Olaf Runquist, Professor, Hamline University.

Students analyze video clips of kids rolling down a hill on skates, scooters, and bikes to determine whether mechanical energy is conserved.

This is a very simple but effective lesson that engages students with drawing a map of their local environment, then annotating their map with environmental changes they've observed. The activity taps into higher order thinking because students are synthesizing physical, cultural, environmental, and personal factors and expressing them in a graphical format.

The goal of this assignment is threefold: 1) Reflect on the connection between social and ecological parts of the earth system that we observe in our own lives, 2) Gain experience with mapping change and using maps for sharing both data and personal stories of climate change, and 3) Provide a starting point for gauging our collective experience thinking about climate change.

A car propelled by the reaction between lemon juice and baking soda has more in common with rockets and jet aircraft than one might think. In this video segment adapted from ZOOM, two cast members demonstrate the power of rocket-propelled vehicles and how to exploit the force produced by the carbon dioxide gas. Grades 3-8.

This is an activity about image comparison. Learners will analyze and compare two sets of images of the Sun taken by instruments on the Solar Dynamics Observatory spacecraft. With Set 1, they will observe the Sun in both a highly active and a minimally active state, and be able to detect active regions and loops on the Sun by comparing the two images. With Set 2, they will identify areas of high magnetic activity on a magnetogram image and recognize that these areas correspond to highly active regions on the Sun.

This course provides an introduction to nonlinear dynamics and chaos in dissipative systems. The content is structured to be of general interest to undergraduates in science and engineering. The course concentrates on simple models of dynamical systems, mathematical theory underlying their behavior, their relevance to natural phenomena, and methods of data analysis and interpretation. The emphasis is on nonlinear phenomena that may be described by a few variables that evolve with time.

This activity provides for small group investigation of the properties of different liquids leading to the discovery that liquids are different in many ways, including density.Students would be led to a very beginning understanding of density.

This is a two part mini lesson.  It uses individual and group photographs to help students develop a sense of individuality and community within the classroom.  This lesson provides a physical and visual representation of students within their class community.  Students will see themselves as individuals who are part of a whole.  For students who do not feel as though their individuality is valued, they have a tactile representation of their inclusion as individuals who are part of the group.

This lesson introduces J. J. Thomson's discovery of the electron and E. Rutherford's planetary model of atomic structure. This is the first in a series covering modern atomic theory.

In this video segment adapted from NASA, astronomer Michelle Thaller introduces the world of infrared light and demonstrates how infrared cameras allow us to see more than what the naked eye can perceive.

When do photons, electrons, and atoms behave like particles and when do they behave like waves? Watch waves spread out and interfere as they pass through a double slit, then get detected on a screen as tiny dots. Use quantum detectors to explore how measurements change the waves and the patterns they produce on the screen.

This lab is divided into two exercises that may be completed within a single three-hour session. The first exercise requires the mixture of aqueous solutions that will precipitate large euhedral crystals over the course of 1 to 2 weeks. These experiments are intended to mimic the slow growth of macroscopic minerals in thermal and chemical equilibrium. In the second exercise, students observe rapid growth of dendritic crystals in strongly undercooled solutions in order to visualize the disequilibrium growth processes that occur in the atmosphere, at chilled margins, and in highly supersaturated solutions.

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

In this activity, students compare countries and nation states with high- and low-energy consumption rates within a specific region of the world. Students are encouraged to draw linkages between a country's energy culture and its position in multilateral climate negotiations.

This activity is a field investigation where students will gather data on speed, acceleration, gravity, friction, and forces. They will design and conduct an investigation.

Latin America covers part of North America, South America and the West Indies. It stretches from Atacama desert to rugged highlands and Alpine glaciers of the Andes mountains, from the Rio Grande to Tierra del Fuego.The fertile plains of the Pampas is one of the world's richest agricultural regions. The Amazon Basin is the largest and wettest lowland in the world. Culturally, Latin America is a great mixture of European, indigenous and African cultures.

In this course, we will examine the peoples and places of Latin America from a geographical perspective. We will explore the geographical dimensions of economic, cultural, political, and physical forces influencing Latin America as a region. We will have a mixture of thematic and regional approaches to study the concepts and look into various physical and historical processes that have shaped dynamic and diverse cultural landscapes. We will study contemporary environmental and developmental issues, trends in migration, agricultural change, and globalization to understand Latin America's position in the global economy.

Learning Outcomes:
*Analyze and articulate geographic concepts related to the geography of Latin America, its physical environment, peoples, cultures, and history.
*Analyze changing political and economic relationships between the United States and countries in Latin America in order to be a more informed and engaged global citizen.
*Interpret maps, graphs, and visuals as tools for analyzing the distribution patterns of phenomena and understanding their importance.
*Evaluate how changing cultural, social, political, and economic characteristics of Latin American countries influence internal strife and external intervention.
*Understand the complexities that contribute to the social inequality, political conflict, and environmental concerns prevalent in some Latin American countries and discuss possible solutions.

6.637 covers the fundamentals of optical signals and modern optical devices and systems from a practical point of view. Its goal is to help students develop a thorough understanding of the underlying physical principles such that device and system design and performance can be predicted, analyzed, and understood.
Most optical systems involve the use of one or more of the following: sources (e.g., lasers and light-emitting diodes), light modulation components (e.g., liquid-crystal light modulators), transmission media (e.g., free space or fibers), photodetectors (e.g., photodiodes, photomultiplier tubes), information storage devices (e.g., optical disk), processing systems (e.g., imaging and spatial filtering systems) and displays (LCOS microdisplays). These are the topics covered by this course.

We will study the fundamental principles of classical mechanics, with a modern emphasis on the qualitative structure of phase space. We will use computational ideas to formulate the principles of mechanics precisely. Expression in a computational framework encourages clear thinking and active exploration.
We will consider the following topics: the Lagrangian formulation; action, variational principles, and equations of motion; Hamilton’s principle; conserved quantities; rigid bodies and tops; Hamiltonian formulation and canonical equations; surfaces of section; chaos; canonical transformations and generating functions; Liouville’s theorem and Poincaré integral invariants; Poincaré-Birkhoff and KAM theorems; invariant curves and cantori; nonlinear resonances; resonance overlap and transition to chaos; properties of chaotic motion.
Ideas will be illustrated and supported with physical examples. We will make extensive use of computing to capture methods, for simulation, and for symbolic analysis.

This is a poster detailing the Sun and its impacts on the Earth. Learners will be introduced to space weather, solar storms, aurorae, and the spacecraft that study the Sun and its impacts.

This activity describes a simple clear demonstration of electric generators (Faraday's Law) and electric motors (Lorentz Force). This demonstration can be used as an interactive lecture demonstration.