A metal nut suspended from a thread is made to oscillate between a charged and uncharged metal can. Electrolytic Cell - Students make batteries using vinegar and pieces of metal. Using a digital multimeter, they measure the current produced by their cells. Water Flow - Students use a water flow device made from a soda bottle to measure how the flow of water through a capillary tube depends on the pressure of the water at the capillary. Electric Circuit - The characteristics of series and parallel circuits are investigated using a digital multimeter to measure current and voltage.
Students learn the conventional symbols for circuit diagrams.
Basic to the SEED approach is the absolute necessity of middle school students acquiring direct concrete experience with the concepts and principles they are studying. This means that they measure things before learning about the metric system and they magnify things before studying about magnification. Also basic to the SEED approach is the use of appropriate mathematics whenever necessary. Science can't be done without mathematics, and mathematics can't be learned if it isn't regularly used. In the science classroom, numbers arise from the students' own work.