Intel Mini Scientist – Classroom Resources
Looking for some classroom resources to help support your journey of science?
We have teamed up with Phil “The Scientist” from RTÉ’s Home School Hub to create a series of science related videos, which are accompanied by activity packs including detailed lesson plans and worksheets for students.
The material is curriculum linked and focused on the following topics; Energy & Forces, Materials, Living Things, and Environmental Awareness & Care. The videos and related materials can be found below. All of the experiments covered in the videos have appropriate access points to cater for all student levels. Schools can engage in the content at their own pace and introduce each topic at a time of their choosing.
These resources are a great way to introduce science into the classroom and may be helpful to you as a starting point on your Mini Scientist journey.
Everybody Knows
Humans, animals and plants all evolved in special ways to help them survive here on earth. Your skeleton and muscles work as an awesome team to help you do the things you love. Without this team, your body would flop around like a soggy noodle! By building a working model of our muscles, we can understand how we move, and see how amazing our bodies are!
Students are invited to watch this video from Phil the Scientist that will take you through a lesson on how to make a model of limbs to understand the internal workings of our muscles and skeletons.
We have prepared for the teacher a detailed lesson plan to accompany the video.
We have prepared a worksheet that can be used by the students when taking this lesson.
You’re in Charge
Imagine you could clean your room just with the click of a switch? You hit the button on the wall and bang the dirt is gone. Intel does exactly this with its computer chips and in this exploration you will learn all about static electricity, magnets and how you can take charge to do the work for you!
Students are invited to watch this video from Phil the Scientist that will take you through two sets of experiments; the first will explore static electricity and the second will explore magnetism.
We have prepared for the teacher a detailed lesson plan to accompany the video.
We have prepared a worksheet that can be used by the students when taking this lesson.
The Makings of Invention
Look around you. The world we live in is made up of all types of materials used for all sorts of things; shoes, books, furniture, bikes, buildings, you name it, it’s made of something, and usually quite a few somethings all working together to make a finished product. But not all materials are the same and selecting the right materials is an important part of inventing, designing and building. By testing materials, we can see what properties they have and think about what they would be most useful for.
In this lesson students, guided by Phil the Scientist, will carry out a variety of mini-experiments to test a range of materials to learn about their properties.
We have prepared for the teacher a detailed lesson plan to accompany the video.
We have prepared a worksheet that can be used by the students when taking this lesson.
It’s in Our Nature
The world that we live in is a wonderful place and it is the biggest research lab that ever existed. Our Earth has evolved over billions of years, so why not copy it when we’re coming up with new systems to make our lives easier? In this experiment, we’ll use our natural resources to see how we can sustainably clean water without damaging the planet.
In this experiment the class will learn about soil erosion and how plants play a vital role in protecting soil from the effects of rainfall, flooding, storms and strong winds.
We have prepared for the teacher a detailed lesson plan to accompany the video.
We have prepared a worksheet that can be used by the students when taking this lesson.
Wheatgrass
This experiment involves growing your own wheatgrass and should be completed over a 4-week period. It will act as a longer-term experiment that will continue in the classroom even after the initial Intel Mini Scientist lessons have been completed.
In this lesson, the teacher will show the students an experiment, which involves preparing wheatgrass seeds in different planter trays. The experiment will help the students understand the impact on how the seeds grow in different conditions.
We have prepared for the teacher a detailed lesson plan to accompany the video.
Have Any Questions?
If you have any questions about the Intel Mini Scientist program or would like to access additional teaching resources to support the lessons shared, please contact intel.ireland.corporate.affairs@intel.com.