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Learners use compasses to detect the magnetic field created by current moving through a wire. This is one of four activities learners can complete related to PhysicsQuest 2008.

In this engineering design activity, learners will design, test, and build a “haunting machine” to solve a Sherlockian mystery.

Learners examine the properties of light by experimenting with an LED-flashlight and polarizing filters. When two polarizers are used, they block all light when they are placed at right angles.

Learners drop two different masses of play dough and observe how long it takes them to hit the ground.

In this activity (located on page 9 of the PDF), learners are introduced to Aesop's fable, "The Crow and the Pitcher." In the story, a clever crow drops pebbles into a pitcher to cause the water level

Learners experiment to see which colors of light will cause a phosphorescent (glow-in-the-dark) material to glow.

Learners observe projectile motion by launching wooden balls off of a table top. They set up a rubber-band launcher so that each ball experiences a consistent amount of force.

Learners experiment with water gel crystals, or sodium polyacrylate crystals, which absorb hundreds of times their weight in water. When in pure water, the water gel crystals cannot be seen.

Learners shine the light of a laser pointer through sheets of fabric that all have a different number of threads per inch.

Learners drop a magnet through a coil of wire to create electric current in a circuit. LEDs in the circuit allow learners to detect the direction of current flow.

Learners build a pendulum from a yo-yo, and then design their own experiment to determine what affects the pendulum's period of swing.

Learners work in pairs to design, construct, and test a device that exhibits positive, neutral, and negative buoyancy. They test a number of different objects in water to see if they sink or float.

In this math-based activity, learners will experiment to find how height and angle affect spatter and then use this knowledge to solve a crime.

In this activity on page 13 of the PDF, learners use a laser pointer (with known wavelength of light) to measure the thickness of a human hair.

In this math lesson, learners record and graph plant growth and interpret data. Learners plant seeds, and once the seeds sprout, record the change in height of the plants for several days.

In this activity, learners will design a way to identify a powder found at a crime scene by comparing it with known powders, with the goal of solving a crime.

In this math lesson (on Page 13), learners predict and simulate the likelihood of an event occurring.

In this activity on page 8 of the PDF (Behind the Scenes with Chemistry), learners make three of Harry Potter's essential school supplies: quills, ink, and color-changing paper.

In this activity, learners investigate color vision as well as plan and conduct their own experiments.

In this two-part activity, learners will extract their own DNA from their cheek cells and learn how DNA is analyzed and used to solve crimes.