Physics

This award is given to a K-12 mathematics or science teacher who has demonstrated outstanding teaching in the United States. The recipient receives a citation signed by the President of the United States, a paid trip for two to Washington, D.C.

This video from Forecast Earth and The Weather Channel shows how water is being utilized in new ways to help power homes and communitities all over the world with tidal power. Two areas highlighted in this video are the East River in New York City and the Scotland coastline.

This lesson introduces students to the photoelectric effect (the basic physical phenomenon underlying the operation of photovoltaic cells) and the role of quanta of various frequencies of electromagnetic energy in producing it.

If your classroom has access to a photovoltaic cell, the following activities can be utilized. These activities are meant to teach students about how light is converted to energy and to show how renewable sources of energy can be used in greening buildings.

The following activities REQUIRE a PV cell:

This lesson, created by PBS, gives students the opportunity to explore wind power using a hands-on approach. Students builid model wind turbines and experiment with how to cope with changes in weather and improve efficiency.

This activity correlates with National Physical Sciences content standards.