This page links to five lesson plans in static electricity for beginning learners.  Designed for easy set-up, the lessons are intended to help beginners understand charge, electrostatic induction, and how transfer of electrons occurs.  (Open Website)

This lesson plan for beginners includes a creative update of the "Kissing Balloon", plus  three activities designed to enhance student understanding of electric charge, electron transfer, and polarization.  Try teaming it with Chasing Cheerios below.  (Open Website)

A Cheerio is suspended from a string and brought in contact with a charged plastic ruler, then neutralized by touching it.  This lesson illustrates both induction and conduction.  A second activity is included, with a printable student data sheet and reference materials.  (Open Website)

Using neon bulbs as a "test charge" for a current or for an electric field. this is a description for a lesson plan or activity.  (Open Website)

The "snacks" are scaled-down versions of exhibits relating to electricity at the Exploratorium museum.  Find activities related to electrostatics, charge, force and field potential, and circuits.  (Open Website)

This is a wonderful collection of materials on the scientific works of Benjamin Franklin, integrating historical background with descriptions of the actual lab experiments. The lab guide explains how to set up identical (or very similar) experiments in the classroom and provides video how-to's for several lessons.  (Open Website)

Common misconceptions about the topic of electrostatics are fully explored in this resource for both teachers and learners.  The author debunks more than a dozen myths as he offers comprehensive explanations of related phenomena.  (Open Website)

This NASA resource is a complete "primer" on the subject of lightning.  It includes an easily understood description of the lightning discharge process, modern data collection,and a brief history of the scientific study of lightning.  (Open Website)

This is a teacher-made electrostatic quiz not meant to be fully definitive, but as an example. It is a short answer quiz.  (Open Website)

This outstanding resource integrates Java-based models of electrostatics with standards-based lesson plans and student worksheets. Your students will have fun moving charges around to investigate interaction of charged particles and watch as electric field lines are generated. The worksheets offer them structured guidance.  (Open Website)

The Exploratorium "snacks" are miniature versions of popular exhibits at the museum, all do-able with inexpensive materials. For electrostatics, click on "Charge and Carry", "Electroscope", and "Holding Charge".  (Open Website)

This site is a great content source for teachers that explains electric fields and even gives an assessment at the end.  (Open Website)

This is a multiple choice traditional online quiz (with hints) for electric fields.  (Open Website)

Definitions, explanations and applications of the inverse square law to electrostatics forces  (Open Website)

An outstanding collection of Easy Java Simulation models for electrostatics. Students can move charges around to see the force, observe the field generated, and observe the motion of test particles in electric fields. Included are student worksheets for each simulation.  (Open Website)

In this Java simulation, your students play with a replication of Coulomb's historic torsion balance -- a device used to measure electric force between charges. Coulomb's methodical measuring laid the foundation for Coulomb's Law, a fundamental principle of electricity and magnetism.  (Open Website)

Many students have difficulty understanding the interactions that cause an electric force between charges. It helps if they begin their investigation with a very simple 1-D representation of the electric force that one particle exerts on another. The user sets the amount of charge so that the particles can either attract or repel; then vector arrows appear to show the amount of force on each particle. One particle can be moved left or right along the line to see the effect of distance on the force. With one click, students can see a graph of the electric force as a function of position.  (Open Website)

This is a wonderful collection of materials on the scientific works of Benjamin Franklin, integrating historical background with descriptions of the actual lab experiments. The lab guide explains how to set up identical (or very similar) experiments in the classroom and provides video how-to's for several lessons.  (Open Website)

This interactive tutorial, part of The Physics Classroom, does a first-rate job of explaining the concepts underlying Coulomb's Law.  (Open Website)

This short biography on Charles-Augustin de Coulomb (1736-1806) gives background on the pioneer's work, which resulted in the fundamental physics law named after him. Coulomb's Law states: the electric force between charged objects inversely depends upon the distance between the objects. This tutorial helps students understand this relationship.  (Open Website)

This lesson plan for the teacher of beginning  high school physics and/or physical science provides directions for making a simple electroscope and updates the classic "kissing balloon" activity with creative additions.  Included are printable student data sheets.  (Open Website)

This resource blends text with interactive java simulations to provide an excellent overview of the topic of capacitance.  It includes descriptions of how electric capacitors work and introduces simple calculations.  (Open Website)

Capacitors are electrical devices designed to store electric charge.  In this interactive java tutorial, students explore factors affecting capacitance and gain understanding of how   it is related to electrostatic force field.  (Open Website)

The Exploratorium "snacks" are miniature versions of popular exhibits at the museum, all do-able with inexpensive materials. For electrostatics, click on "Charge and Carry", "Electroscope", and "Holding Charge".  (Open Website)

A neon bulb is an object that can be lighted either by electric current or by static electricity.  This creative lesson, which requires no math,  helps students form an understanding of electron transfer.  Included is a printable student data sheet.  (Open Website)

An exceptional internet-based module that blends computer modeling with traditional hands-on labs. The introductory video is guaranteed to "spark" attention: a car catches on fire during refueling. The driving questions for students to investigate: what caused the fire and how can we use a knowledge of electrostatics to prevent these accidents? (Developed by UC-Berkeley.)  (Open Website)

This site has all the information needed to understand the operation and maintenance of Van de Graaff generators.  The author includes helpful hints for classroom demonstrations.  (Open Website)

This is a great site to use as a teacher for content support of a lesson plan on electric charge.  (Open Website)

This NASA resource is a complete "primer" on the subject of lightning.  It includes an easily understood description of the lightning discharge process, modern data collection,and a brief history of the scientific study of lightning.  (Open Website)

Franklin's second letter about transfer of electrical fluid in Leyden jars is accompanied by descriptions for setting up the experiments in a classroom.  (Open Website)

This item highlights Benjamin Franklin's historic first letter about points and Leyden jar experiments, describing how to set up the labs in the classroom.  (Open Website)

This item integrates a third historic Franklin letter with directions on how to construct a flat-plate capacitor and an electrostatic motor.  (Open Website)

Franklin's theory of atmospheric electrification is highlighted, with diagrams and annotations to enhance student understanding.  (Open Website)

This resource takes learners on a journey through history with primary source historical documents (written by Franklin) about his lightning rod experiments.  It includes a translation of a 1752 experiment conducted in France.  It is intended for integration with the item directly above.  (Open Website)

This web page integrates historic text and drawings with annotations and ideas for applying Franklin's theory of electrostatic induction in labs designed for the modern high school science classroom.  It includes a 1750 letter by Franklin describing an accident resulting in his own near-electrocution.  (Open Website)

This web site contains materials regarding the scientific work of Benjamin Franklin, and lab exercises related to experiments he performed. Writings and historical observations are integrated with lab descriptions to give students a better insight into his work.  (Open Website)

A history and explanation of electrostatics charge and force  (Open Website)

Exploring static electricity using simple household items.  (Open Website)

Using balloons to explore static electricity for the early grades.  (Open Website)

A history of how static electricity has been explored.  (Open Website)

Can playing a game assess understanding of static electricity?  (Open Website)

How and why to assess learning in science  (Open Website)

This Java simulation from MIT is one of our top choices to model the process of electrostatic induction. It breaks the process down into steps: charge separation within the conductor, grounding of charge, and ungrounding. It gives students an especially rich experience, as they can observe the changing electric field as "grass seeds", electric potential lines, or in a 3D view.  (Open Website)