Curated OER
The Big Melt
Students experiment with a variety of materials used for insulation by melting ice cubes.
Science Geek
Thermochemical Calculations
Viewers learn where the heat goes when phase changes take place with a presentation that explains the latent heat of phase changes, or, more specifically, the molar heat of fusion, solidification, vaporization, and condensation. The show...
Curated OER
What's The Scoop?
Students explore the properties of matter. In this cross curriculum three states of matter science lesson, students listen to the poem "Eighteen Flavors" by Shel Silverstein, and predict what will happen if listed ingredients are...
Curated OER
Freezing Point Depression
Students create ice cream in a zipped bag and measure the temperature of a salt/ice mixture. They discover how salt lowers the temperature necessary to freeze ice to a solid (below 0'C).
Space Awareness
The Big Meltdown
Explore the world (our world) of melting ice caps. Why are these caps melting? What is the effect of melting ice caps? Dive into the ever-present issue of global warming with a resource that has learners looking at data and participating...
Polar Trec
Do You See What Icy?
Here is a lesson that kicks off with a question. "How does ice floating on the ocean act as it melts?" As learners investigate this natural phenomenon, they'll discover that it has a lot to do with temperature, salinity, and the effect...
Curated OER
King of the Mound
Students investigate water as an agent of change. They conduct an experiment involving a mound of soil, observe and record any changes that occur when ice melts on the mound of dirt, and create a drawing of the changes that take place...
Curated OER
Water and Ice
Young scholars explore the states of water. In this water states lesson, students observe ice over time and the changes that take place. Young scholars read a related text and draw their observations in a journal entry. Students discuss...
Curated OER
Changing Planet: Rising Ocean Temperatures - Rising Sea Levels
As an anticipatory set, young environmental technicians watch a video about how ocean temperatures seem to be changing along with the global climate. They perform a laboratory demonstration with the purpose of observing what happens to...
Polar Trec
Is There Salt in a Glacier?
What can conductivity tell us about a glacier? Groups analyze glacial melt to determine salt content through an analysis of the pH and conductivity measurements of two samples. Groups then determine the source of the salts.
Virginia Department of Education
Molar Heat of Fusion for Water
How can you describe heat of fusion in a way the class understands and relates the importance of this concept to present day issues? In this third activity of the series, learners conduct an experiment, demonstrating the flow of heat...
Curated OER
Thermal Expansion and Sea Level Rise
Placing a thermometer and a glass tube into a flask of cold water and sealing it, you can expose it to heat and very visually demonstrate thermal expansion to your earth science class. Follow it with a discussion about how the increasing...
Center for Learning in Action
Introducing Physical and Chemical Changes
Young scientists investigate chemical and physical changes to the states of matter—gas, liquid, and solid—as well as solutions and suspensions with a variety of demonstrations, grand conversation, and an interactive quiz to check for...
Cornell University
The Science of Snowflakes
Who can grow the best crystals? Challenge class members to develop strategies for enhancing growth in the crystals. Through a lab investigation, learners study the properties of crystals and test the effectiveness of different growth...
Curated OER
It's Freezing!
Here is a good activity for 5th grade scientists. In it, they look at a bar graph that shows the freezing point for a variety of liquids. Then, they are given a scenario of a certain liquid melting and freezing, and must determine which...
Curated OER
Water and Ice
Learners investigate what happens to solids and liquids when they change from one form to another. The amount od space taken by frozen water begins the discussion and students are led to formulate their own hypothesis to research.
Curated OER
Polygons, Pingos, and Themokarst! Oh MY!
Students complete activities to learn about the common land features in Alaska. In this land study instructional activity, students study an overhead for permafrost features. Students define ice wedge polygons, thermokarst, and pingos....
Curated OER
temperature and the Scientific Method Lesson Plan
Sixth graders study heat, temperature, and heat transfer. Using probeware, the teacher demonstrates boiling points. Students participate in experiments and record the beginning and ending temperatures and mass of objects. After...
Curated OER
Kitchen Chemistry
Fifth graders examine both physical and chemical changes, and how to identify the difference between the two. They observe the changes that occur in butter when it is exposed to heat and cold, heat energy. In their notebooks, they write...
Curated OER
Elements of Chemistry: Solids, Liquids and Gases
Young scholars predict if icebergs melting has an effect on the sea level rising. In this global warming activity students complete an experiment to see the effects of melting icebergs and write a conclusion on their data collected.
Curated OER
Refrigeration Part 2 - How they work
Fourth graders investigate insulators and how refrigerators actually work to keep things cold through evaporation and pressure changes in the coolant. They create a box to keep an ice cube from melting, and observe a variety of...
Curated OER
Earth's Ecology
Learners investigate the three states of water. In this physical science lesson, students watch the video "Earth's Ecology" and observe water in its' three states. Learners record observations.
Curated OER
Glaciers and Global Sea Rise
Students explain how melting glaciers affect global warming. In this earth science lesson, students investigate the change in ice density as it melts. They discuss the human and environmental impact of rising sea levels.
Curated OER
Weather, Sea Level Rise and Climate Change Course
Students explain the impact of glacial melting to global climate change. In this environmental science lesson, students design an experiment to investigate the effect of salinity change to melting glaciers. They share their results to...