Teaching Materials (1-20 of 34)

1. Sand and Multiple Light Scattering

   Teaching Materials | 23 Aug 2021 | Contributor(s):: Denise Kapler, NNCI Nano

   Nanoparticles and other nanoscale materials are often analyzed through the specialized use of light scattering. Several techniques use the light scattered from small particles to estimate their size distribution; these techniques employ light absorption, laser diffraction, and dynamic light...

2. Transistor Mania: Modeling Electron Flow

   Teaching Materials | 17 Jun 2021 | Contributor(s):: Meghan Saxer, NNCI Nano

   This activity is designed to help the students understand the significance of transistors in their lives. Students will learn how current research on nanoscale transistors is making their favorite electronic devices (i.e., cell phones, gaming devices, computers, etc.) faster and more powerful....

3. Model Rockets and Composite Materials: Design, Build, Launch

   Teaching Materials | 27 May 2021 | Contributor(s):: Amber Genau

   Students will gain experience with polymer matrix fiber composites, composite production, and the tradeoffs inherent in the engineering design process by designing, building and launching their own model rocket.  Composite materials are created via hand layup and vacuum assisted resin...

4. Characterizing Electrolytic Materials

   Teaching Materials | 31 Mar 2021 | Contributor(s):: Steven Kandel, NNCI Nano

    The lab is designed to help students understand that the resistance of an object depends on length, cross-sectional area, and the type of material. Students measure the current through objects to see that different materials resist current in different amounts. Students will find that,...

5. Resolving Power – Seeing is Understanding

   Teaching Materials | 03 Dec 2020 | Contributor(s):: Edward Lawrence, NNCI Nano

   This lesson introduces students to light microscopes and their limitations in viewing small features and objects.  In addition, they will learn about more powerful imaging tools by understanding the principles of operation of electron and atomic force microscopes. As a culminating...

6. MODULE 3 - Structures: "Turning Fruit Juice into Graphene Quantum Dots" Supplementary Lesson Plans: Going Atomic

   Teaching Materials | 15 Nov 2020 | Contributor(s):: Rachel Altovar, Susan P Gentry

   In MODULE 3- Structures in the "Turning Fruit Juice into Graphene Quantum Dots" Supplementary Lesson Plans, crystal structures and systems are investigated. This module relates back to graphene and how its structure relates back to its unique properties in comparison to other forms of...

7. MODULE 4 - Quantum Mechanics: "Turning Fruit Juice into Graphene Quantum Dots" Supplementary Lesson Plans: Going Atomic

   Teaching Materials | 15 Nov 2020 | Contributor(s):: Rachel Altovar, Susan P Gentry

   The last and final module in the "Turning Fruit Juice into Graphene Quantum Dots" Supplementary Lesson Plans, studies basic concepts in quantum mechanics such as quantum dots, band gap theory of solids, waves vs. particles, and the photoelectric effect. The activity for this module...

8. MODULE 1 - Graphene: "Turning Fruit Juice into Graphene Quantum Dots" Supplementary Lesson Plans: Going Atomic

   Teaching Materials | 13 Nov 2020 | Contributor(s):: Rachel Altovar, Susan P Gentry

   The first module in "Turning Fruit Juice into Graphene Quantum Dots" Supplementary Lesson Plans, explores the material, graphene, how it was discovered, and the unique properties that it has. The activity paired with this lesson plan re-creates the famous "sticky-tape"...

9. MODULE 2 - Sizes: "Turning Fruit Juice into Graphene Quantum Dots" Supplementary Lesson Plans: Going Atomic

   Teaching Materials | 13 Nov 2020 | Contributor(s):: Rachel Altovar, Susan P Gentry

   The next installment of Turning Fruit Juice into Graphene Quantum Dots" Supplementary Lesson Plans delves into the concept of size and how materials and their properties may change at the macro-, micro-, and nanoscale. Activities include viewing images from a microscope to determine...

10. Spectrophotometry of Metal Nanoparticles

    Teaching Materials | 16 Jun 2020 | Contributor(s):: Chris Kaus, James J Marti, NNCI Nano

    This activity has students chemically synthesize gold and silver nanoparticles, measure the spectra of light absorption and transmission by these particles, compare these spectra to those of known-sized particles, and then estimate the size distribution of the particles they have made. By using...

11. Efficiency of Nitinol Wire

    Teaching Materials | 11 Jun 2020 | Contributor(s):: John Nice, NNCI Nano

    This lab activity focused on nitinol or muscle wires  which are shape memory alloys. These wires can be used to lift a weight up a height. Students will explore how the work performed lifting a load with the nitinol wire compares to the energy pumped into the wire by an electrical current....

12. Understanding Waveguides: Light at the Nanoscale

    Teaching Materials | 13 Feb 2020 | Contributor(s):: Marilyn Garza, NNCI Nano

    There are three lessons for this activity that help students understand how light can travel through a waveguide for communication purposes. Students will first explore the angle of refraction. Next they will create a gelatin waveguide to explore issues associated with light and waveguides....

13. NNCI Reference Sheets

    Teaching Materials | 11 Feb 2020 | Contributor(s):: Joyce Allen, Nancy Healy, NNCI Nano

    This is a series of 5 reference sheets for high school students that have a summarized version of important concepts for courses in: Physics, Physical Science, Chemistry, Biology, and Genetics.  These are two sided, with one side introducing nanotechnology and the other containing facts,...

14. Understanding Wave Motion and Power Loss

    Teaching Materials | 10 Feb 2020 | Contributor(s):: Richard Moore, Angela Berenstein, NNCI Nano

    This lab is designed to help students understand how light waves interact with matter. This activity is analogous to light traveling through optical media having different indices of refraction (densities). This is a two part lesson. In part 1 students use slinky and snaky toys to explore wave...

15. Design Challenge: Incorporating Shape Memory Alloys into Rube Goldberg Devices

    Teaching Materials | 05 Feb 2020 | Contributor(s):: Joyce Allen, NNCI Nano

    This lesson consists of two parts. In Part 1, students determine which of set of wires is a unique metal alloy called Nitinol. Nitinol is called a shape memory alloy (an SMA) because it can “remember” its original shape under certain conditions after being bent, twisted, or...

16. Solar Ovens: Understanding Energy Transfer

    Teaching Materials | 28 Jan 2020 | Contributor(s):: Christina Levyssohn-Silva, NNCI Nano

    At the end of this lesson, students will understand that solar energy radiates from the sun to the Earth and gets trapped within the oven. Students will be able to explain how the thermal energy flows from the hot air to the cold water via conduction and will indicate that this would continue...

17. Properties of Fluids

    Teaching Materials | 21 Jan 2020 | Contributor(s):: Astrid Hernandez, NNCI Nano

    This lab explores the properties of water flow. This inquiry-based lab consists of 2 sections: the Guided Lab Activity and the Going Further (research) portion. The guided lab activity, performed on the first day, is designed to help students observe and understand the way fluids interact with...

18. Nanomotors: Nanoscale Propulsion

    Teaching Materials | 15 Jan 2020 | Contributor(s):: Paul Longwell, Chantelle Smith, Stephen Stillanos, NNCI Nano

    This lesson is designed to engage students in hands-on experiments that explore nanoscale propulsion principles and guide students in recognizing and analyzing differences between macroscale and nanoscale propulsion systems.

19. Nanoparticles Land to Ocean: Understanding the Effect of Nanoparticle Pollutants

    Teaching Materials | 15 Jan 2020 | Contributor(s):: Chloe Figuerido, NNCI Nano (editor)

    Pollution, both macroscopic and microscopic, is an important environmental issue for aquatic ecosystems. For this lab, students will model how nanoparticle pollution travels from land to water. This lab isa 2-part series of labs designed to help students understand the effect that nanoscale...

20. Quantum Dots: Real-world Particles in a Box

    Teaching Materials | 15 Jan 2020 | Contributor(s):: Joyce Allen, NNCI Nano

    The purpose of this activity is to show that nanosize particles of a given substance often exhibit different properties and behavior than macro or micro size particles of the same material. The property studied in this activity is the absorption and reflection of light which is based on energy...