ITSI Portal — Activities Preview

In this activity you will explore aspects of the makeup of crystals.

This activity investigates how melting molecular crystals affects their structure.

This activity relates changes in sunlight to the air temperature above the surface that we are testing.

This activity uses a computer model to explore the energy balance between incoming and outgoing radiation on the earth.

This activity uses a computer model to explore how the earth's atmosphere affects the energy balance between incoming and outgoing radiation.

By using a temperature sensor, we can relate changes in sunlight to the temperature of the air being trapped in a container.

This activity uses software called Seismic Eruption that plots all the earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that have occurred around the world since 1960. These data are linked directly to the most current data collected by the USGS.

In this activity, you will use software called Seismic Eruption that plots earthquakes around the world to determine if there are any patterns to the depth of earthquakes.

In this activity you will look at patterns of earthquakes below Earth's surface and relate them to plate movement.

This activity uses software called Seismic Waves: A program for the visualization of wave propagation to illustrate how waves from an earthquake travel to seismic stations throughout the earth.

In this activity, students measure relative humidity in the air using just a temperature sensor, by comparing the wet bulb and dry bulb temperatures.

In this activity, students use a relative humidity sensor and a soda bottle to measure humidity near surfaces, such as over a leaf or above an ice cube.

In this activity you will calculate the actual amount of water in the air in your classroom.

In this investigation you will figure out the dew point temperature for your classroom.

In this investigation you will figure out how to make rain in your classroom.

In this activity students use a computer model to study the orbits of planets around a sun.

In this activity students use a computer model to study the elliptical orbits of planets around a sun.

In this activity students use a computer model to study the planets in our Solar System.

In this activity students use a computer model to study the orbit of a comet.

This activity relates cloud and sky observations to weather changes.

This activity allows you to measure changing weather conditions prior, during, and after a storm.

In this activity, you will investigate how to predict the temperature when two cups of water at different temperature are mixed.

In this activity, you will investigate how to predict the temperature when two cups of water at different temperature are mixed.

This activity allows you to investigate how heat transfers through a crystal.

This activity allows you to investigate potential and kinetic energy changes during a phase change.

This activity allows you to investigate latent heat during a phase change.

In this activity, students will monitor the temperature of a melting ice cube.

This activity explores the frequency and amplitude of sound waves.

This activity explores the complex characteristics of common sounds.

This activity explores how sound is produced by vibrating things and causes things to vibrate.

This activity involves building and testing musical instruments.

This activity will investigate simple, straight-line motions.

This activity will investigate simple, straight-line motions using a motion sensor.

When a car rolls up and down a ramp, what do the velocity and distance graphs look like?

This activity uses a Brownian Motion model to provide an insight into the atomic nature of all matter.

This activity allows you to experiment with a model to investigate diffusion.

This model activity will allow you to investigate diffusion with atoms and molecules of different masses.

In this activity energy will be moved from batteries to holiday bulbs and resistors, and the temperature changes will be monitored.

Record the motion of a simple pendulum. Measure the period and calculate the potential and kinetic energy.

Charge up a capacitor and then light a bulb with it, while measuring the voltage. Compare energy storage in a capacitor to energy storage in a battery.

This activity allows you to explore important biological plant molecules.

This activity allows you to explore important biological animal molecules.

This activity lets you change the way a dragon looks by changing its genes.

This activity investigates the importance of breathing for a living organism.

This activity investigates the importance of breathing for a living organism.

In this activity you will measure how fast you can react to three different cues: by sight, by sound, and by touch.

This activity explores how and why the feeling of temperature is different from its measurement, using a temperature sensor and a heat flow model.

Build a lie detector based on skin resistance.

This activity uses a computer model to study how populations stay in balance with their environment and respond to various factors such as food supply and predators.

You will use a computer model to study how populations stay in balance with their environment and respond to various factors such as food supply and predators. You will observe population explosions.

In this investigation, you will use a computer model to study how populations can sometimes go down to zero, so that a species becomes extinct.

In this activity you will build a model greenhouse and explore light levels over the course of a day.

In this activity you will build a model greenhouse and explore how it affects temperature levels.

In this activity you will build your own greenhouse and explore how to regulate the temperature.

In this activity you will build your own greenhouse, measure its behavior, and grow plants to see how they react to their environment.

In this activity students measure how much heat is generated when a lump of clay is hit with a weight.

This activity uses a model of a hammer colliding with a solid to explore what happens to the molecules.

In this activity you will investigate elastic collisions.

Use two force sensors to see if Newton’s Third Law is really true!

This activity will investigate voltage in various parts of a simple circuit, using a circuit-building computer model.

This activity will investigate current in various parts of a simple circuit, using a circuit-building computer model. It should be preceded by the Voltage activity.

This activity will investigate the ratio of voltage to current in a simple circuit, using a circuit-building computer model. It should be preceded by the Voltage and Current models.

This activity uses a model for exploring the forces on an object moving along a ramp.

This activity uses a skateboarder on a half-pipe track to explore potential energy, kinetic energy, and friction with different amounts of gravity.

This activity uses a model of a wave on a string to explore speed, tension, damping and bouncing of waves.

This activity uses a model of a wave on a string to explore how waves travel and reinforce each other to make standing waves.

This activity uses a model of a ripple tank to study wave patterns.

This activity uses a model of speakers and a listener to study the patterns of sound waves.

This activity uses a Sound Grapher to display and analyze sound waves.

This activity uses an atomic model to show how atoms emit certain frequencies of light when they are heated.

In this activity a model shows how discharge lights work.

Trace out the magnetic field around a small magnet, using a Hall Effect sensor.

This activity uses a model to study electromagnets, generators, and transformers.

This activity uses a computer model to explore the energy balance between incoming and outgoing radiation on the earth.

This activity uses a computer model to explore how the earth's atmosphere affects the enegy balance between incoming and outgoing radiation.

This activity uses a computer model to explore how changing the amount of permanent snow and ice and the extent of cloud cover effects the earth's energy balance.

This activity allows you to investigate how chemical reactions combine in definite ratios.

This model will allow you to associate a balanced chemical equation with a mass balance.

This model shows the association (bonding of atoms), dissociation (process by which a molecule breaks apart into simpler groups of atoms, individual atoms or ions) and recombination of diatomic (two-atom) molecules.

This activity will introduce Le Chatelier's principle to predict the effect of a change in conditions on a chemical equilibrium.

This activity measures the effect of temperature on rates of reaction.

This activity allows you to investigate how salt dissolves in water.

This activity will allow you to compare the polar or non-polar property of a molecule that relates to its solubility in water.

In this activity, the change of temperature is measured when salt and sugar are dissolved in water.

This activity will allow you to determine the energy conditions needed to start an explosion.

This activity will allow you to investigate the minimum energy colliding particles must have in order to react. This energy is known as the activation energy, which is sometimes called threshold energy.

In this activity the temperature of a reaction is monitored for different concentrations of reactants.

This activity will focus on how information stored in DNA is read by the cell and used to build proteins that the cell needs.

In this activity you will get a chance to make different types of mutations in a computer model.

In this investigation, you will use a computer model to observe how heredity and natural selection allow a population to adapt to a changing environment by making favorable traits more common and unfavorable traits less common.

In this investigation, you will use a computer model to observe how heredity and natural selection allow a population to adapt to a changing environment by making favorable mutations more common and unfavorable mutations less common.

In this investigation, you will use a computer model to observe how mutations in a population allow it to adapt to a changing environment by making favorable mutations more common and unfavorable ones less common.

During this activity you will investigate your respiration rate during rest and exercise. You will also determine your recovery rate after exercise.

In this activity, students observe and investigate differences in temperature at different locations on the body.

This activity uses a computer model to study how populations stay in balance with their environment and respond to various factors such as food supply and predators.

You will use a computer model to study how populations stay in balance with their environment and respond to various factors such as food supply and predators. You will observe population explosions.

In this investigation, you will use a computer model to study how populations can sometimes go down to zero, so that a species becomes extinct.

This activity uses a model explore the stability of predator-prey ecosystems.

This activity uses a model to explore worm populations.

This activity uses a model to explore how algae move up and down the water column in response to light and food.

In this activity, you explore how the graph of a quadratic function and its symbolic expression relate to each other. You start with a set of four graphs, which we’ll call a Parabola Web.

Most people view a distance-versus-time graph as a picture of an object's path through space—its trajectory. But the graph of an object's movement may look different from its trajectory. Using the Qualitative Grapher, you can gain insight into this distinction and the difficulties students face in learning to interpret graphs.

In this activity, you’ll use an interactive tool called the Linear Transformer to manipulate the functions that make up a Starburst pattern. You will make clearer connections between graphs of lines and their symbolic expressions (their equations).

In the following exercises, you use technology to reveal the connection between symbolic and graphic representations of equation solving.

In this activity you will use the Piecewise Linear Grapher to help three potential cell phone customers choose which cell phone plan is best for them.

This activity shows how the experiment board and header are used to build circuits. Test your understanding by lighting an LED.

This activity explains how to read the values of resistors and capacitors in the ITSI probe kit.

How to build a simple voltmeter, or measure raw voltage input for testing circuits.

How to build an absolute temperature sensor. It cannot be used in fluids unless it is protected by a plastic bag.

How to build a magnetic field sensor.

How to build a light sensor.

How to build a simple squeezing force measurement sensor.

How to build a sensor to measure skin resistance.

How to build a sensor to measure conductivity in water.

How to build a temperature sensor using a thermocouple. It measures relative temperature changes, has a very fast response, and can be used in fluids or air.

How to build a circuit to measure rotation of a motor, which can be used to measure angular velocity, linear velocity, or linear distance.

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