The Wizard's Lab

A GEMS Exhibit Guide

Written by Cary I. Sneider and Alan Gould

GEMS Exhibit Guides describe and supply detailed plans for the construction and display of interactive exhibits for use by science centers or in school discovery labs. Many of these exhibits make excellent classroom or festival learning stations.

The Wizard's Lab describes ten of the most popular interactive exhibits from the Lawrence Hall of Science, including the spinning platform; solar cells and light polarizers; resonant pendula; magnets; lenses; electricity makers and the "human battery"; the oscilloscope and sound; and the harmonograph.

Exhibits are easy to construct and use common materials and equipment. Clear, fun instruction cards guide visitors through hands-on challenges and provide scientific background. Various activities connect to GEMS Teacher's Guides (for example, solar cells to Hot Water and Warm Homes from Sunlight, or lenses to More than Magnifiers.)

This guide does NOT contain step-by-step instructions for classroom presentation, although creative teachers have sometimes adapted them for classroom use–or to inspire a discovery room at school.

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