New Gizmos Releases & Updates

Is this plastic cup sustainable? As a plastics engineer, the student must create a plastic cup from renewable resources that returns its material to Earth’s carbon cycle through decomposition by living things.

Students acting as spacecraft navigation engineers apply their knowledge of Newton’s Third Law of Motion to launch a communication satellite into a stable orbit around Earth. When students learn of an impending collision with space debris, they must use their knowledge of gravitational forces and Newton’s Laws to correctly maneuver their satellite to a new, stable orbit.

People are getting sick after swimming in the Dogwood River. The student acts as a microbiologist to monitor bacteria populations, construct a model of how pollution enters the river, and design a sustainable solution to minimize human impacts on the Dogwood River watershed.

The Bay Area of California experiences frequent earthquakes. Earthquakes are unpredictable and cause enormous damage that leads to casualties. Students take on the role of an earth scientist to investigate the properties of seismic waves to develop an early warning system that warns citizens of an incoming earthquake and reduces casualties.

In this standalone investigation, students play the part of investigators trying to solve why one phone cracked and another didn’t after being dropped. Using a new version of the familiar Things on Shelves Gizmo, developed specifically for this investigation, they explore how mass and height affect potential energy and how that energy transfers when objects fall. Students collect and analyze data, build and revise models, and connect their discoveries to real-world impacts. This investigation builds understanding of potential energy, gravitational energy, and energy transfer in collisions.

Concussion rates in youth impact sports are high despite the use of helmets. In this STEM case, students act as materials scientists to learn about the physics behind concussions and helmet function. Students will use their understanding of Newton’s First and Second Laws of Motion to investigate helmet padding material to determine which material is best at reducing force during an impact.

In this three-part series, students become junior engineers tasked with designing a safe and exciting skate park. Using the Sled Wars Gizmo, they investigate how mass, speed, and ramp height affect kinetic and potential energy, as well as the transfer of energy during collisions. Students collect and analyze data, build and revise models, and apply their understanding to a real-world engineering challenge. Along the way, they deepen their grasp of core ideas like energy transfer, energy conservation, and the relationship between motion and energy.

In this standalone investigation, students take on the role of skatepark designers investigating how mass and speed influence kinetic energy. Using the Sled Wars Gizmo, they collect data and interpret graphs to uncover patterns showing how energy changes with different variables. Students use their findings to design a ramp that’s safe and fun, justifying choices with evidence and practicing skills in data analysis, modeling, and constructing explanations. The focus is on understanding the relationship between kinetic energy, mass, and speed, as well as energy transfer during motion.

In this three-part series, students become motion analysts using the Force and Fan Carts Gizmo to figure out which racer will win. They investigate how changes in force, mass, and friction affect the motion of carts, collecting and interpreting data to build and revise models. Students use their findings to deepen their understanding of Newton’s First and Second Laws and apply evidence to justify their predictions in a final race challenge. Core topics include the effects of force and mass on acceleration, the role of friction, and balanced and unbalanced forces.

In this standalone investigation, students act as robotics competitors trying to program a cart to stop at a target. Using the Force and Fan Carts Gizmo, they investigate how balanced and unbalanced forces affect the motion of a cart and see Newton’s First Law in action. By testing different surface types and fan forces, students learn how friction and applied force interact, discovering why objects stay at rest or in motion unless acted on by another force. The investigation focuses on motion, inertia, balanced and unbalanced forces, and friction.

In this standalone investigation, students take on the role of motion analysts using the Force and Fan Carts Gizmo to figure out which racer will win. Using the Force and Fan Carts Gizmo, they collect and analyze data to identify patterns between force, mass, and speed. Students apply Newton’s Second Law to explain why some carts accelerate faster than others, then use scientific evidence to justify which racer will win. Topics include the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration, and interpreting data to support scientific explanations.

In this lesson series, students will investigate Mendel's Laws through the phenomenon of a red-haired girl born from two brown-haired parents. Students will use the Mouse Genetics Gizmo to make observations, gather data, and test their predictions. Students will create their own models of inheritance, learn about dominant and recessive alleles, and use Punnett Squares to make specific predictions of genetic outcomes.

In this standalone lesson, students investigate the phenomenon of a tabby cat with a litter of white kittens. Students will use the Mouse Genetics Gizmo to come up with and test their own models before learning about dominant and recessive alleles and applying their learning to solve the phenomenon.

In this standalone lesson, students investigate the phenomenon of long-haired guinea pigs. After reviewing genetics basics, students will use Punnett Squares to model different genotype combinations, use the Mouse Genetics Gizmo to test their predictions, and then apply their learning to guinea pigs.

In this lesson series, students will help Kayla, a cooking enthusiast who is having trouble making good spaghetti in her new home in the mountains. Students will investigate phase changes, the effect of altitude and air pressure on boiling point, and the molecular causes of phase changes.

Dad forgets to bring the cooking pot on a camping trip, throwing the macaroni and cheese dinner into doubt. Luckily, he comes up with an ingenious solution involving a plastic bag. Students will investigate how temperature relates to phase changes to explain why this works.

After a snowstorm cuts power and water, Ethan needs to melt ice and boil the resulting water to cook dinner. This phenomenon leads him to thinking about why water changes from one phase to another. In this standalone lesson, students will investigate what is happening at the molecular level to cause phase changes.

Kayla loves to cook deviled eggs, but she hates to wait for the eggs to hard boil. After receiving a pressure cooker as a birthday gift, she is thrilled to discover she doesn't have to wait as long. In this standalone lesson, students gather and analyze data to investigate the relationship between air pressure, altitude, and boiling point.

Excited for his summer internship at NASA, Jorge dives into his assignment of finding a way to provide oxygen for astronauts on a mission to Mars. Using the Plants and Snails and Cell Energy Cycle Gizmos, students will investigate photosynthesis, cellular respiration, and how these two processes are related to find a solution to Jorge's challenge.

Chloe's goldfish are sick, and she needs to help them quickly! In this standalone lesson, students use the Plants and Snails and Cell Energy Cycle Gizmos to investigate cellular respiration and determine how to help Chloe's fish.

Anna's grandparents are trying to grow winter strawberries in a greenhouse, but the plants aren't doing well. Students will use the Plants and Snails and Cell Energy Cycle Gizmo to investigate photosynthesis and find a way to help the strawberries grow.

Henry is having trouble with his pet snails. To help, students will investigate the interdependence of photosynthesis and respiration using the Plants and Snails and Cell Energy Cycle Gizmos. Students will be challenged to use plants to create a stable environment for Henry's snails.

To support a future moon station, NASA plans to grow plants to supply food and oxygen. Jorge's job is to investigate how to maximize oxygen production. Using the Photosynthesis Lab Gizmo, students will undergo a series of controlled experiments to determine the ideal light intensity, carbon dioxide concentration, temperature, and light wavelength.

An important fish species, the American Shad, has disappeared from the James River in Virginia. Students take on the role of a junior River Watch member to investigate the shad population’s decline. They collect and analyze data about biotic and abiotic factors related to water quality and fish survival. Then students use this data to construct a model of cause-and-effect relationships in the James River watershed and design a solution to bring back this iconic fish.

FREE with no time limit!

In this three-part series, students become junior engineers tasked with designing a safe and exciting skate park. Using the Sled Wars Gizmo, they investigate how mass, speed, and ramp height affect kinetic and potential energy, as well as the transfer of energy during collisions. Students collect and analyze data, build and revise models, and apply their understanding to a real-world engineering challenge. Along the way, they deepen their grasp of core ideas like energy transfer, energy conservation, and the relationship between motion and energy.

Preview

In these investigations, students learn about Mendelian inheritance by solving the mystery of a red-headed daughter in a family of brunettes. Students will use the Mouse Genetics Gizmo to explore patterns of inheritance, come up with their own models of inheritance, and then compare their models to what they learn about genetics, alleles, and dominant and recessive traits.

Preview

In this group of lessons, students will learn about phase changes. Students will explore temperature patterns as water is heated, explore the molecular causes of phase changes, and explore how pressure affects boiling point.

Preview

In this group of investigations, students explore photosynthesis, cellular respiration, and the relationship between the two processes.

FREE with no time limit!

In these lessons, students tackle the challenge of designing a skate park ramp for the town’s mayor, investigating how variables like mass, speed, and height affect kinetic and potential energy. Using the Sled Wars Gizmo, students model energy relationships, analyze data to refine their designs, and apply concepts of energy transfer to ensure the ramp meets safety standards. Through this process, they gain a deep understanding of kinetic and potential energy while engaging in hands-on, inquiry-based learning.

Preview

In these lessons, students investigate Newton's laws of motion by investigating how forces affect the movement of objects. Using the Force and Fan Cart Gizmo, they create and test models to understand the relationships between force, mass, and acceleration. Throughout the series, students apply Newton's first and second laws to deepen their understanding of motion, refining their predictions and justifying their findings with evidence from their experiments.