Practical 4 in the History in STEM practical series.
In this practical we are looking at the Viking Sunstone, the theoretical genius navigation method, making much of the Viking exploration possible. Working with Icelandic Spar (Calcite Crystal) which, through the process of birefrigence, causes light passing through it to be refracted at two separate angles. Using this, with some small effort, research has shown that the stone could be used to locate the sun, even on an overcast day, within a few degrees, allowing for the journey to continue.
More about the History in STEM practical Series
This series is designed to bring quality cross-curricula material to STEM subjects, that help students to explore and discover phenomena normally taught, while getting a glimpse into the history of its development.
In addition, a number of the practicals give the students the opportunity to play “Mythbusters”, looking at a number of different methods and having to reason why one or the other was the more likely or useful method.
From Ancient Greece to Vikings, China to the Golden age of the Muslim empire and beyond to India, the series takes a look at some of the most important STEM achievements throughout history.
There is a plan for 40 of these such practicals in this series, so, if you liked this one, consider looking at some of the others, or check out some of the bundles available.
Practical 7 in the History in STEM practical series.
In this practical, you will be looking at the illusive history of invisible ink and the chemical reactions behind them. Have a look at the different methods used, beginning in Ancient Greece and continuing through history all the way through to modern times. Test their effectiveness in application, invisibility and ease of development, and decide for yourself, which of the methods you would choose. Finally, take your knowledge and apply it to working out the teachers secret message. Which method did they use? Use observations and clues to make your deductions and then test your hypothesis.
More about the History in STEM practical Series
This series is designed to bring quality cross-curricula material to STEM subjects, that help students to explore and discover phenomena normally taught, while getting a glimpse into the history of its development.
In addition, a number of the practicals give the students the opportunity to play “Mythbusters”, looking at a number of different methods and having to reason why one or the other was the more likely or useful method.
From Ancient Greece to Vikings, China to the Golden age of the Muslim empire and beyond to India, the series takes a look at some of the most important STEM achievements throughout history.
There is a plan for 40 of these such practicals in this series, so, if you liked this one, consider looking at some of the others, or check out some of the bundles available.
Other practicals in the series:
Similar Triangles - History of STEM practicals - How Far Is That Boat?
Water Alarm Clock - History of STEM practicals - Pressure and Displacement
Viking Sunstones - History of STEM practicals - Refraction and Birefringence
Pythagoras’ Cup - History of STEM practicals - Siphon
Archimedes’ Eureka - History of STEM practicals - Density
Measuring the World - History of STEM Practicals - Circumference of Circles
Practical 6 in the History in STEM practical series.
In this practical, you will be using similar triangles to measure how far off distant objects are. This technique is believed to have been used in Ancient Greece and other locations for a number of reasons and is a very simple to conduct, group work activity where each member has defined roles, ensuring that participation is high. It can be used and adapted to teach a number of aspects of similar triangles, but as it is set up, would be a great introduction to the topic.
More about the History in STEM practical Series
This series is designed to bring quality cross-curricula material to STEM subjects, that help students to explore and discover phenomena normally taught, while getting a glimpse into the history of its development.
In addition, a number of the practicals give the students the opportunity to play “Mythbusters”, looking at a number of different methods and having to reason why one or the other was the more likely or useful method.
From Ancient Greece to Vikings, China to the Golden age of the Muslim empire and beyond to India, the series takes a look at some of the most important STEM achievements throughout history.
There is a plan for 40 of these such practicals in this series, so, if you liked this one, consider looking at some of the others, or check out some of the bundles available.
Other practicals in the series:
Similar Triangles - History of STEM practicals - How Far Is That Boat?
Water Alarm Clock - History of STEM practicals - Pressure and Displacement
Viking Sunstones - History of STEM practicals - Refraction and Birefringence
Pythagoras’ Cup - History of STEM practicals - Siphon
Archimedes’ Eureka - History of STEM practicals - Density
Measuring the World - History of STEM Practicals - Circumference of Circles
Practical 9 in the History in STEM practical series.
This is part 1 of a two part mini-series on the history and development of paper. In this practical, paper is pitted against papyrus in a battle to see which of the two can support the most weight and has the higher tensile strength.
There are two methods available, one with pre-purchased papyrus and another with full instructions on how to make papyrus from scratch to test the different properties. Once you have the papyrus paper, the practical can be run with little equipment and is easy to improvise and adapt to what you already have in the lab.
More about the History in STEM practical Series
This series is designed to bring quality cross-curricula material to STEM subjects, that help students to explore and discover phenomena normally taught, while getting a glimpse into the history of its development.
In addition, a number of the practicals give the students the opportunity to play “Mythbusters”, looking at a number of different methods and having to reason why one or the other was the more likely or useful method.
From Ancient Greece to Vikings, China to the Golden age of the Muslim empire and beyond to India, the series takes a look at some of the most important STEM achievements throughout history.
There is a plan for 40 of these such practicals in this series, so, if you liked this one, consider looking at some of the others, or check out some of the bundles available.
Other practicals in the series:
Check out the bundle for the best savings
or get the individual practicals:
Similar Triangles - History of STEM practicals - How Far Is That Boat?
Water Alarm Clock - History of STEM practicals - Pressure and Displacement
Viking Sunstones - History of STEM practicals - Refraction and Birefringence
Pythagoras’ Cup - History of STEM practicals - Siphon
Archimedes’ Eureka - History of STEM practicals - Density
Measuring the World - History of STEM Practicals - Circumference of Circles
Chemical Reactions - History of STEM practicals - Invisible Ink Practical
Statistics and Cryptography - History of STEM practicals - Crack the Code
Force and Tensile Strength - History of STEM practicals - Paper Part 1
Note: This would be a great followup practical after completing your Pythagoras Cup.
Practical 5 in the History in STEM practical series.
In this practical we are looking at the humble beginnings of the alarm clock. This version is based on a design believed to be used by Plato, to make sure he got up on time. It teaches a number of concepts, such as siphons, as well as displacement and air pressure. It takes the principle of the cup and applies it in a new way. When the water siphons into the vessel, it displaces the air out, forcing it through a whistle, causing it to sound. You can tweak the practical to have the time it takes for the alarm to go off, to suit whatever purpose you like. This is probably more than a single lesson practical, but might be a good collaborative project. Bring the Arts department in to get some cool decorations for the clock. Get the history team to talk about Plato and the philosophers of ancient Greece and turn this practical into a real cross curriculum event.
More about the History in STEM practical Series
This series is designed to bring quality cross-curricula material to STEM subjects, that help students to explore and discover phenomena normally taught, while getting a glimpse into the history of its development.
In addition, a number of the practicals give the students the opportunity to play “Mythbusters”, looking at a number of different methods and having to reason why one or the other was the more likely or useful method.
From Ancient Greece to Vikings, China to the Golden age of the Muslim empire and beyond to India, the series takes a look at some of the most important STEM achievements throughout history.
There is a plan for 40 of these such practicals in this series, so, if you liked this one, consider looking at some of the others, or check out some of the bundles available.
Other practicals in the series:
Similar Triangles - History of STEM practicals - How Far Is That Boat?
Water Alarm Clock - History of STEM practicals - Pressure and Displacement
Viking Sunstones - History of STEM practicals - Refraction and Birefringence
Pythagoras’ Cup - History of STEM practicals - Siphon
Archimedes’ Eureka - History of STEM practicals - Density
Measuring the World - History of STEM Practicals - Circumference of Circles
Practical 10 in the History in STEM practical series.
In practical 10 we exam the history of the humble barometer. From 1000s of years of misconceptions about the workings of air pressure and vacuums, it was only in the 1600s that enough of an understanding was there in order to build this useful weather predictor.
In the practical section there are two methods for building a barometer for yourself. With this practical using easily obtainable household materials to build the instrument, this is a perfect experiment to be done via distance learning if needed. As an addition, there are instructions for a very BIG teacher demo that is sure to be remembered.
More about the History in STEM practical Series
This series is designed to bring quality cross-curricula material to STEM subjects, that help students to explore and discover phenomena normally taught, while getting a glimpse into the history of its development.
In addition, a number of the practicals give the students the opportunity to play “Mythbusters”, looking at a number of different methods and having to reason why one or the other was the more likely or useful method.
From Ancient Greece to Vikings, China to the Golden age of the Muslim empire and beyond to India, the series takes a look at some of the most important STEM achievements throughout history.
There is a plan for 40 of these such practicals in this series, so, if you liked this one, consider looking at some of the others, or check out some of the bundles available.
Other practicals in the series:
Grab the a bundle for the biggest saving
or get the individual practicals:
Similar Triangles - History of STEM practicals - How Far Is That Boat?
Water Alarm Clock - History of STEM practicals - Pressure and Displacement
Viking Sunstones - History of STEM practicals - Refraction and Birefringence
Pythagoras’ Cup - History of STEM practicals - Siphon
Archimedes’ Eureka - History of STEM practicals - Density
Measuring the World - History of STEM Practicals - Circumference of Circles
Chemical Reactions - History of STEM practicals - Invisible Ink Practical
Statistics and Cryptography - History of STEM practicals - Crack the Code
Force and Tensile Strength - History of STEM practicals - Paper Part 1
Check the Weather - Barometer - Pressure and Climate - Distance Learning
Practical 8 in the History in STEM practical series.
In this activity, you will be looking into the ancient world of encrypted messages. Starting with the simple Caesar Cipher, and moving through the ages, students will have the chance to crack the codes using statistical analysis of a given text, having them use patterns in grammar and frequency of words as a guide (an added cross-curriculum benefit), before perhaps making their own coded messages. This is the best way to incorporate percentages, bar charts, data analysis into a lesson, that will have the kids talking about it for years to come.
More about the History in STEM practical Series
This series is designed to bring quality cross-curricula material to STEM subjects, that help students to explore and discover phenomena normally taught, while getting a glimpse into the history of its development.
In addition, a number of the practicals give the students the opportunity to play “Mythbusters”, looking at a number of different methods and having to reason why one or the other was the more likely or useful method.
From Ancient Greece to Vikings, China to the Golden age of the Muslim empire and beyond to India, the series takes a look at some of the most important STEM achievements throughout history.
There is a plan for 40 of these such practicals in this series, so, if you liked this one, consider looking at some of the others, or check out some of the bundles available.
Other practicals in the series:
Similar Triangles - History of STEM practicals - How Far Is That Boat?
Water Alarm Clock - History of STEM practicals - Pressure and Displacement
Viking Sunstones - History of STEM practicals - Refraction and Birefringence
Pythagoras’ Cup - History of STEM practicals - Siphon
Archimedes’ Eureka - History of STEM practicals - Density
Measuring the World - History of STEM Practicals - Circumference of Circles
Chemical Reactions - History of STEM practicals - Invisible Ink Practical
Statistics and Cryptography - History of STEM practicals - Crack the Code