Curated OER
Causal Patterns in Air Pressure Phenomena
Students consider the relationship between pressure and temperature. They observe a demonstration and explore the relationship between heat and volume when pressure remains constant. Students discuss relational causality and consider...
Curated OER
Don't Marry the Mole!
Third graders examine the power of solar energy. In groups, they create their own pizza box solar oven to discover the power of the sun and how it is a source for heat and light. To end the lesson, they use the internet to examine...
Curated OER
States of Matter: Liquid
Students work in a mini lab where they measure the temperature every 30 seconds for several minutes as water is heated. They are asked what makes liquid different from a solid. Students view a PowerPoint on the model of liquids,...
Curated OER
A Potential Energy Worksheet
In this energy learning exercise, learners describe the differences between kinetic and potential energy and the difference between heat and temperature. This learning exercise has 6 short answer questions.
Teach Engineering
Designing a Winning Guest Village in the Saguaro National Park
Don't desert a resource on the desert! Scholars work in groups to build on their ideas from the previous lesson to design a sustainable guest village in the Saguaro National Park. Each group produces a PowerPoint presentation to share...
Curated OER
Cost Effective Buying
Students evaluate energy-related purchases. In this consumer awareness lesson, students visit an appliance store and rank the products' cost effectiveness by using a mathematical formula.
Curated OER
Solar Kit Lesson #7 - Positioning Solar Panels I: Explorations with Tracking
In this first part of a two-part lesson, learners track and record the sun's azimuth using a solar panel. They graph and analyze the data to identify relationships among the time of day, the altitude and azimuth of the sun, and the...
Curated OER
Household Conservation/Efficiency
Hook your class up to an online home energy usage calculator so that they can estimate the amount used per month by their families. Then give them Watt meters with which they will measure the power consumption of several small...
Curated OER
Devastation of Indian Quake
Learners read an online article at CNNfyi.com to determine what happened in India after an earthquake. They determine the magnitude of this earthquake and address the issue of relief efforts from other countries.
Curated OER
TO CONSERVE OR NOT TO CONSERVE
Students explore how energy is wasted at home and at work and develop a program to save energy in a specific area.
Carnegie Mellon University
Home Energy Audit
Youngsters make a mental assessment of electricity-consuming appliances in their homes and then evaluate them for the amount of energy consumed. They learn how to use power meters and measure the electrical consumption of several...
Curated OER
Cost Effective Buying
Students complete a worksheet that asks them to calculate the true energy cost of various appliances. They compare appliances with energy saving features, rebates and other economical incentives.
Curated OER
A Comparison of Land and Water Temperature
Young scholars examine NASA satellite observations of surface temperature and investigate the seasonal changes of land and water temperature.
Curated OER
Passive Solar Design
Students study what passive solar design is for buildings and structures. In this solar design lesson students identify passive solar design techniques.
Curated OER
Colors of Stars
Students observe the colors found in the flame of a burning candle and examine the basic concepts of matter and energy. Students apply this information to the color's of starts and the temperature of the stars photosphere. Students...
Curated OER
Building on the Land
Ninth graders study how cities affect the environment and design an ecologically-sound city. They focus their study on the benefits and constraints of life on the Northern Great Plains.
Curated OER
Greenhouse Design
Students work individually, or with partners, to develop a design for a
greenhouse, and calculate space requirements, equipment needed and cost of operation. They construct a scale model of the greenhouse.
Curated OER
A Matter of State
Middle schoolers conduct science experiments to understand that particle movement changes as a substance changes from one phase to another phase. Students record observations of experiments that involve the three states of matter:...
Curated OER
Backpacks and Hills
This machines PowerPoint reviews effort and force in relation to work and informs students about different types of machines and the different ways forces are applied and how they work to increase efficiency.
Curated OER
Conservation for the Ages
High schoolers use the Internet to research a topic about energy conservation. They summarize the research information in an original studenT book and visit a local elementary school to present their projects.
Curated OER
Make Your Own Temperature Scale
Differentiate between temperature and thermal energy. Your class will build a thermometer using simple materials and develop their own scale for measuring temperature. Discuss with your class and consider why engineers need to understand...
Mascil Project
Closed Greenhouses
Controlling the efficiency of a greenhouse is a mathematical task. A collaborative project challenges learners to create an efficiency plan for a closed greenhouse. Using algebraic equations, they consider a set of constraints, design...
Cornell University
Atomic Bonding
Explore the connection of surface area to bonding within atoms. Learners complete lab investigations to model changing surface area with different sizes and concentrations of atoms. A flour fireball demonstration follows the labs to...
Curated OER
World Geography - Climate Notes
A challenging activity helps young geographers explore the temperatures around the world! They study how the Earth's land temperatures are affected by their proximity to an ocean, as well their latitude and their altitude. A very...