Curated OER
Multi-Talented Electrical Energy
Young scholars explore energy conversions by demonstrating the conversion of electrical energy into light, heat, sound, and magnetic energy. Students create a simple device that converts electrical energy from batteries to heat, light,...
Foundation for Water & Energy Education
How Can Work Be Done with Water Power? Activity A
Environmentally friendly engineering teams construct a water wheel and experiment with its speed and the resulting amount of weight it can lift. Consider following this activity with two more of the same title by the same publisher when...
Curated OER
The Wind & Sun: Powerful Alternatives
Students examine the power that is possible from the sun through an interactive program. They also analyze how energy turns into different forms in different parts of the human body. They finally explore how wind is created and how wind...
Curated OER
Solar Hot Box or Cooker
Students brainstorm about solar energy then construct a solar cooker to test the maximum temperature that materials can reach. In this solar energy lesson, students experiment and record temperature of water in their hot boxes while...
Texas State Energy Conservation Office
Investigation: Gas Laws in Action - Propane
Using helium as an example of propane, physical science middle schoolers experiment with and graph the relationship between temperature and volume in gases. In a whole-class demonstration, they show how molecules behave under different...
Curated OER
Electricity and Food: From Glowing Pickles in Citrus Batteries
Fifth graders explore electrical concepts and host a guest speaker. This instructional activity sets up guidelines for students to follow when they have a guest speaker. Students are primed to become actively involved in a lecture or...
Curated OER
Earn Points with Technology
Students explore renewable energy by analyzing a diagram. In this fossil fuel activity, students view a chart explaining the different energy consumption from automobiles and how they impact our environment. Students analyze a point...
Curated OER
What's the Big Deal?
Young scholars define terms and describe where they are found and formed. In this methane lesson students complete an activity and describe ways in which methane hydrates impact our lives.
Curated OER
Biomass As a Fuel
Students investigate the use of biomass as a fuel. They discuss energy and its uses in their homes. They explore the two types of energy, potential and kinetic and examples of both types. They study the process of photosynthesis and...
Curated OER
Making New Electricity
Students investigate the concepts of energy conversion and conservation. They research the history of energy conversions into electrical energy. They design experiments in order to replicate a conversion of energy into electricity.
Curated OER
Chemical Consequences of Burning Fossil Fuels
Future scientists are introduced to the chemical consequences of burning fossil fuels, learning that fossil fuel combustion leads to the formation of oxides of three nonmetals: carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur, all of which end up in the...
Curated OER
The Power of Persuasion
Students explore the power of persuasion. In a classroom setting, students discuss incentives, testimonials and deceptive pricing schemes that are used to influence others. After observing professionally made infomercials, students...
Curated OER
Energizing Our School
Students explore energy usage in home and in school. They examine the types of non-renewable sources and discover alternate sources of energy. Through group activities, students calculate the perimeter and area of a given room. They make...
Curated OER
Wavelengths of Light
Explore physical science by participating in a visual spectrum experiments. Budding scientists identify the colors in the color spectrum and view the colors in class by utilizing cellophane, flash lights, and other arts and crafts...
Curated OER
What's the Big Deal?
Pupils explore and define methane hydrates and describe ways that it can impact their own lives. For this methane hydrate lesson students create a molecular model and research methane hydrate.
Carnegie Mellon University
Marcellus Shale: Who Pays?
After viewing short clips of unfortunate events, your class will consider two sides of a homeowner's court case, and then learn about the Marcellus shale deposit beneath the state of Pennsylvania and the hydraulic fracturing process. In...
Curated OER
Build a Tesla Coil
Students explore tesla coil through various experiments. In this physics lesson, students build their own tesla coils based on a given procedure. They discuss its real world applications.
Curated OER
Thar She Blows!: Wind Power
Students examine how wind energy is transformed into electrical energy. In pairs, they build miniature wind turbines and measure how much electrical current they produce. They asses the importance of design and position in energy...
Curated OER
Geology and the Battle of Gettysburg
Students create geologic maps of the Gettysburg battlefield. In this geologic skills lesson, students consider the variations of Earth's surfaces and explore strategies employed by the North and South in the Battle of Gettysburg to...
Curated OER
Earth System Science
Students explore the Earth and its ability to support life. They discuss the geosphere and the water cycle and complete the Water Wonders activity. After completing the activity, they respond in their journals and reflect upon the...
Curated OER
Lights Out!
Students examine static and current electricity, and discuss what their lives would be like without electricity. They listen to a teacher-led lecture about electrons and atoms, and explore static electricity using a comb or a balloon...
Curated OER
Debating the Three Gorges Dam Project: Power to the People or Environmental Catastrophe?
Students explore the controversy behind the building of the Three Gorges Dam in China. One group of the class researches the government's stance on building the dam. Another section of the class represents an environmental group who...
Curated OER
Air Pollution Survey
Students identify the different sources of air pollution andevaluate knowledge of air pollution concepts in school and community. Students brainstorm ways of reducing air pollution and instruct school and community in reduction of air...
Curated OER
Transportation Systems
Students examine transportation systems and explore problems created by modern transportation. In this transportation systems lesson, students discuss various forms of transportation as it relates to depletion of our natural oil...